Club Med has revealed plans to open its first South Africa resort after achieving a record-breaking first half of the year.
The operator’s business volume grew to €1.06 billion between January 1 and August 6, representing an increase of 32% compared to the same period last year and an increase of 20% compared to that of 2019.
Its resorts were visited by 766,000 customers in that period, an increase of 28% compared to the first half of 2022 and up 2% compared to pre-pandemic levels.
The results were driven by a strong recovery across all markets in Europe, the Americas and Asia, said the company, with a “particularly strong performance” for mountain resorts’ winter season, representing over 40% of Club Med’s business volume in the first half of 2023.
Bookings are up 6% for departures scheduled in the second half of 2023 compared to the same period last year, added the operator.
Club Med has also shared plans for its first resort in South Africa, Club Med Tinley, set to open in summer 2026 with construction starting early next year.
The resort in the KwaZulu-Natal province, which will offer safari excursions, will feature a “surf-lifestyle concept” and will be “shaped by art and local culture”.
Henri Giscard d’Estaing, president of Club Med, said: “Since its creation in 1950, Club Med has been a pioneer in discovering new exceptional destinations.
“With this new project, together with our partner the Collins Residential Consortium, we aim to create value to the local communities and contribute to the international prestige of the beautiful province of KwaZulu-Natal.”
Club Med will open four new resorts by the end of 2023, including Exclusive Collection Space in the French Alps and Club Med Kiroro Grand in Hokkaido, Japan.