As Club Med Readies to Open First Canadian Resort, It Reinvests in Agents

Club Med will bring its brand of Alpine ski resorts to Quebec later this year, the all-inclusive operator’s first foray into Canada. Club Med Québec will be a four-Trident resort (equivalent to four-stars), with an all-inclusive mountain experience including ski-in, ski-out access, along with a host of other indoor and outdoor activities. Amélie Brouhard, vice president of marketing for Omnichannel North America and Sales, discussed the brand’s other developments and how recovery is faring. 

Travel Market Report: How has the pandemic affected opening plans for the brand’s first Canadian outpost, the Club Med Quebec Charlevoix? What other development or expansion plans are in the pipeline?
Amélie Brouhard: Club Med Québec, our first resort in Canada, is still on track to open on December 3, 2021. We have been closely following guidelines provided by the World Health Organization and local authorities, and our partners, Groupe le Massif, have provided great support in keeping the project on track. Sales officially opened in December 2020, and we are already looking forward to welcoming more than 5,000 North American guests this winter!

The opening of Club Med Québec signals our return to North America and exemplifies our global mission to grow and adapt to each market, with three to five new resort openings or renovations per year, including a new Alpine ski resort annually. This year we are opening five new resorts and over the next two years, we’re planning 11 new resort openings and renovations.

TMR: What are you seeing in terms of demand and recovery? How is this year’s fall and winter travel season shaping up?
AB: While domestic travel remained in-demand for a majority of 2020 and early 2021, we have seen incredible growth of our overall business recently with increased interest in the Caribbean and Mexico, which shows us the travel rebound is in full swing when it comes to international travel. In the last few weeks, we have been reporting double-digit growth in bookings versus 2019 – with guests looking to travel to Punta Cana, Cancún, and Turks & Caicos. Specifically, from the end of May and throughout the early summer months, we experienced record-breaking sales, including the best weeks of all-time – with a double-digit growth in revenue when compared to 2019.

Family reunion bookings for the 2021-2022 holiday season have also been climbing since the end of 2020. In fact, more than half of recent holiday bookings were m.ade by families, which shows us families are excited to reclaim their holidays and time taken away from each other.

In addition, as we enter the upcoming 2021-2022 ski season, we have seen increased interest in bookings for our global portfolio of all-inclusive ski resorts in the European Alps and Canada, with trends beginning to indicate stronger performances versus 2019 levels.

TMR: What long-term changes do you think the brand will keep as we move away from the pandemic? 
AB: We will continue following enhanced hygiene and safety protocols aligned with recommendations from the World Health Organization, local health authorities, and the advice of an International Scientific Committee comprised of a specialized team of doctors and professors as we navigate the ‘new normal’. As we look ahead, we don’t see an end to travelers seeking safe and hygienic all-inclusive resort experiences and anticipate they’ll continue seeking solace in resorts that offer more of what we’ve learned to control – the spread of infection with enhanced cleanliness practices, plenty of space to spread out with low-density resort options, outdoor activities, and options to dine al fresco with an increased amount of single-plated dishes.

Many guests continue booking with us as they trust we’ll provide them with an environment where they can disconnect from the stresses of the pandemic. We aim to provide each and every one of our guests and employees with complete freedom and peace of mind so they can enjoy their Club Med experience to the fullest, especially after such a challenging year.

TMR: What was the driving factor behind extending the Great Advisor Appreciation Month to the entire summer?
AB: Travel Advisors play a pivotal role in our company and are our most valued partners, so we wanted to reward them for all of their hard work, dedication, and support through this incredibly challenging year in advocating for the safe return of travel by extending our usual month-long celebration to the entire summer. We’re excited to provide them with ample resources to help them grow their business, like our new Travel Advisor booking engine embedded in our partners revamped portal that was created to ensure advisors can navigate and grow their business with ease. To reward their efforts, our Booking Engine Bingo provides 20 travel advisors the opportunity to win an exclusive Club Med prize pack by completing specific booking engine tasks. Additionally, we are about to launch a complimentary e-learning program where, upon completion, advisors will be certified as a Club Med Travel Advisor Specialist and can earn rewards.