Club Med upgrades to meet rising local demand

French resort operator Club Med recently announced a major upgrade to its Club Med Joyview brand, which demonstrates the high demand in China's short-haul holiday market and its confidence in the Chinese holiday industry as a whole.

It said that Club Med Joyview－the company's short-distance holiday brand that launched exclusively for the Chinese market in 2017－has upgraded its brand positioning to "Celebrate Discoveries, Inspire Happiness".

The announcement was made on April 7 at a news conference held at the Club Med Joyview Anji Resort in East China's Zhejiang province.

In it was revealed the brand's "three occasions" packages, designed to provide tailor-made services for weekends, meetings and weddings.

"The newly upgraded Club Med Joyview brand carries Club Med's unique DNA and 'all-inclusive' concept complete with a personalized touch to celebrate discoveries and inspire happiness, and to write a new chapter for Club Med," the company said.

As cross-border travel declines, domestic travel, especially short-distance travel, has become one of the keys to invigorating China's travel market.

Premium short-distance travel products such as those offered by Club Med Joyview "are bringing a new round of opportunities", according to the company.

"Club Med Joyview is confident about the tremendous potential of China's holiday industry," said Xavier Desaulles, CEO of Asia-Pacific Markets at Club Med.

"Thanks to the new momentum from China's domestic economy in 2020, various segments of the travel industry are making an orderly comeback, while local travel and short-distance travel will still be the mainstream of domestic travel in 2021."

Driven by the huge demand, Desaulles said Club Med Joyview is ready to provide premium short-distance holiday services for more Chinese customers, and will keep investing for further growth.

To give customers peace of mind as they travel in a world overshadowed by the COVID-19 pandemic, Jean-Charles Fortoul, CEO of Asia-Pacific Resorts at Club Med, said Club Med Joyview will rigorously implement the "Safe Together" program.

"All the resorts of Club Med China have been certified by the China Certification& Inspection Group for COVID-19 prevention, guest room hygiene and water safety to ensure that every guest can enjoy a great short-distance holiday," he noted.

With pent-up demand for travel in 2021, Club Med holds the view that China's travel market will strengthen in the long run.

Club Med Joyview said it plans to open multiple resorts within the next three years. Potential locations include: Tangshan and Xianlin in the eastern city of Nanjing; Heilongtan and Sanlang in the southwestern city of Chengdu; and Shanwei in the southern province of Guangdong.

"Club Med Joyview will keep expanding its portfolio of short-distance vacation destinations around China by increasing locations in southwestern China and offering new functions for short-distance travel," Fortoul said.