Ready For A New Experience

Despite being pioneers of the the all-inclusive concept, Xavier Mufraggi, president and CEO of Club Med North America and the Caribbean, says the company, which operates 70 resorts in 26 countries across five contents, doesn’t actually view itself as an all-inclusive brand, reports assistant editor Ann Ruppenstein in this week’s digital edition of Travel Courier.

“We have all-inclusive in our product, but we don’t see ourselves as an all-inclusive player. Today we are an all-purpose vacation for families and couples, and we have something very important for them, which is convenience of the all-inclusive,” he tells Travel Courier.

“We don’t say we’re the only all-inclusive abroad, we say we’re an experiential vacation with the convenience of the all-inclusive.”

With locations in North and South America, Asia, Africa, Europe as well as the Caribbean, he says being in international destinations is part of what distinguishes the brand apart from the competition.

“What Club Med provides is also experiences, the level of activities we can do, working with Cirque du Soleil, the level of sports we have going abroad, is very important. We’re international — 99% of the all-inclusive players have limited themselves to islands in the Caribbean — we are worldwide,” he says.

“So a way where we want to differentiate ourselves in the market is that we want to be as close as possible to the experiential vacation people aspire to do as a couple or with family.”

For the full story, check out this week’s digital edition of Travel Courier.