A one-on-one with Club Med MD  for the travel section of Blaque.co.za discussing trends in the travel landscape both from a consumer and from a tourism industry perspective

  Your favorite holiday destination?

I love the urban vibe so a big part of my holiday would have to be in a city somewhere! I have been to lots of cities around the World – at the moment I am exploring Asia with Hong Kong being my latest favorite – but I will be visiting Tokyo next month …

If you can, tell us which Club Med destination is your favorite and why?

The resort I am always excited about returning to is in Marrakech. We have 2 resorts there, one which would be my base located in the Palm Grove, and the second right in the town centre overlooking the Djemma el-Fna square. The resort offers relaxation and easy access to an exciting vibrant culture.

Trends in travel – what’s changed over the past two years and what’s likely to change in the next two?

Globally, people are traveling extensively. Over the past two years, the number of travellers has grown a lot. In 2012 the number of people who travelled for both business and leisure reached 1 billion and in 2013, this number increased by 5%. With this happening on the backdrop of global economic recovery, this is an exciting surge for the travel industry.

We anticipate that the following trends will have the biggest impact in the coming years:

  • With increasingly fast paced and stressful lifestyles, people continue to look for hassle-free travel experiences so they are able to focus more on enjoying their holidays.
  • Rise of the luxury traveller – the number of consumers looking for that indulgent and ultra-luxurious experience is increasing. Consumers are looking for a unique experience on top of the bells and whistles from the likes of limo transfers, butlers, private chefs and private beaches.
  • Destinations previously not considered are beginning to spark greater interest from travellers. The modern traveller is increasingly seeking adventure and discovery, and exotic destinations with rich cultural heritage will rank higher for them.
  • Holidays that offer consumers a range of activities to engage in while traveling will be more favourable as there is an increase in consumers considering active holiday experiences instead of the ‘lying-on-the-beach’ type of holiday. Being able to share new experiences with loved ones is booking highly sought after !
  • Technology’s impact on travel is going to be even greater moving forward. We have seen social media’s impact on the business landscape and this applies to travel as well. Travellers will continue sharing travel experiences and personally reviewing destinations, and other travellers will continue to consider these reviews before any other.

 

  • Club Med has effectively been offering people dream holidays since its inception; have people’s needs and wants changed much?

 

Ultimately people use their holiday to get away from everyday life. We have busy lives and we don’t spend enough time with our loved ones. A holiday allows us to recreate that balance – more me-time, more us-time. It’s a real necessity today, but just as it was in 1950 when we launched. Trends come and go and while the world has become a smaller place, but the need to reconnect in this manner is still exactly the same.

Do you have a lot of repeat business, or is a Club Med holiday often a once-in-a-lifetime experience?

A Club Med holiday is a once-in-a-lifetime experience that you can fortunately enjoy over and over again. Because we offer holidays across a number of destinations, with a range of activities, experiences differ from resort to resort. For example, an experience at La Plantation d’Albion in Mauritius will differ from the experience at Club Med Val Thorens in France. The different destinations coupled with the different offerings of each resort make each one unique – however as a Club Med resort each one will deliver the same level of service and other consistent Club Med elements, such as our phenomenal GO’s. We have a lot of regular clients and repeat business, because the holiday experiences we offer across our portfolio of resorts, from the moment the guest enquires about a holiday to when they arrive back home after their stay with us, is unlike what travelers can get anywhere else. Further, our resorts cater to singles, couples, families and groups, therefore a family can travel to, Club Med Palmiye in Turkey for example and in another travel season, the parents can travel as a couple to Club Med Phuket with a city stopover in Hong Kong or Bangkok and experience a vibrant global city before or after the relaxing resort experience.

 

So while a Club Med holiday is a once-in-a-lifetime experience, it can be enjoyed over and over again.

Would you recommend a Club Med resort for a conference/business function or is it more suited to a family holiday?

At Club Med we have a range of offerings for single travellers, couples, families and group traveling. Group travelling could be friends traveling together or a group of colleagues as part of a team building exercise or year-end function. So depending on what a business wants out of a trip, different resorts will be able to cater to their different needs.

Where are South Africans most likely to travel to? Do many opt for your ski resorts?

South Africans are traveling to a range of destinations, both new and old. Mauritius will always be an easy decision for most because of the weather and proximity – sunny destination within a 3 -4 hour flight. Then there are popular global destinations like France and Italy which attract travellers not just from here but from the world over.

 

We have seen a surge in South Africans booking for holidays in ski destinations and this is testament that travellers are looking for adventure and discovery.

Which nationality travels the most to Club Med destinations?

Traditionally Club Med has been a French company, and we are recognised as the leading holiday brand in the main French-speaking countries. But today we are a global brand with discerning customers choosing us from around the World.   Most recently has seen a growth of customers from countries as diverse as Brazil, Russia and China. Our resorts are a real melting-pot of cultures and the overall experience really works !   Of course we are also growing fast here in South Africa …

Advice for travelers? What should you never leave home without? What do you never leave home without?

A credit card, a passport and an open-mind have got me everywhere I wanted to go – and back again safe and sound !

Strangest requests from guests that you know about

People are diverse and requests will always vary. What may seem trivial to one is vital to someone else. I did once get asked to provide the shade of blue of the swimming pool tiles so that a client could choose her swimwear …

Any statistics you can share with us about travel in general and travel to Club Med destinations in particular?

I can share statistics around travel in general. Like I said before, global travel last year witnessed a 5% increase in the number of travellers and this increase is on the 1-billion-travellers watershed moment from 2012. As South Africa, we contributed 5 million travellers for both business and leisure to this number. With economies stabilizing across the world, these numbers are set to increase.

 

About Stuart De Bourgogne: Stuart de Bourgogne is the Managing Director of Club Med and is based in South Africa. He joined Club Med in 1999 working as a Supervisor for the UK call centre based in Paris. In 2001, Stuart was tasked with creating and managing a pan-European Back Office team of 15 staff. Following the successful implementation of the team, Stuart was appointed Call Centre Manager, and was responsible for reaching sales targets while leading a team of 60 sales staff.

 

In 2008, Stuart was appointed as the Commercial Coordination Manager (New Markets Europe and Africa) for Club Med’s head office in Paris. 2009 saw him move back to the UK, working from Club Med’s London office as an Agency Sales Manager and in 2011 he moved to Johannesburg, South Africa where he is currently based.

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