[photopress:Giscard.jpg,full,alignright]Club Med had an auspicious start in China gaining 2,000 members in the first half year. Club Med CEO and Chairman of the Board Henri Giscard d’Estaing, seen here, said during his visit to Shanghai in June, 2004, ‘It’s a great satisfaction; it is so far the best result compared with other markets we entered in the first six months.’ That pace is being kept up.
After setting up in Shanghai and Beijing, Club Med now wants to develop in Guangzhou. Club Med China general manager Maggie Gao Hua said:
‘Our business performance has been very good for year 2006. Club Med is still experiencing its development stage in China since its establishment in mid-2003. But the speed of growth is fast and satisfactory.
‘Club Med’s target audiences are young professionals aged range from 25-40 years old. Club Med is especially good for urban rich’s families and honeymooners. The key of communication is to position ourselves for the target audience, telling them why we are better for them to spend their vacation.’
And how does she feel about Internet bookings?
‘Definitely more and more people will book online for their flight ticket and city hotel stay. But when it comes to more complicated bookings, leisure vacations for example, online booking has still way to go. A vacation package, because of its complexity, cannot be booked easily through online bookings.’
Source: Eye for Travel