Ihave just returned from the grand opening of the new Club Med
Cancun. As you may have heard, Club Med has put a great deal of
time and resources into reinventing its brand, and company
executives and Mexican government officials were joined by travel
agents, industry representatives and the media for the grand
opening of what they are calling their flagship property. While
everyone enjoyed the speeches and the fireworks, dinner and party
that followed a few hours earlier another important event took
place in a press conference. Cedric Gobilliard, president and CEO
of Club Med North America, signed an agreement with the World
Heritage Alliance and the United Nations Foundation strengthening
Club Med’s commitment to sustainable tourism, conservation of World
Heritage Sites and local economic development at the Cancun resort,
as well as at all Club Meds worldwide.
While this partnership is likely to be a footnote in most
stories about the grand opening, I believe that Club Med deserves
to be applauded for its forward-thinking position. The travel
industry faces a troubling paradox in that there is a growing
desire among travelers to see places that are unspoiled and
authentic, but in the process of bringing travelers to such spots,
the sites themselves risk being harmed or destroyed victims of
their own uniqueness.
There is little doubt that developing environmentally friendly
tourism will be a major challenge in our industry for the rest of
this century and beyond. Currently, promoting sustainable tourism
may be by choice, but before too long it will be a fact of life for
all resorts, tour operators, airlines, cruise lines and, yes, even
travel agents.
“The agents that visited here this week were very impressed by
the measures we’ve taken to ensure that the resort positively
interacts with the local community,” Paula Hayes, senior VP of
sales, Club Med Americas, told me. “It is something their clients
are asking about. ‘Will I feel the culture of the place I’m in?
Will it feel like Mexico there?’ The answer is, ‘Yes,
definitely.’”
Club Med has always been proud of its progressive mindset. As
one executive at the opening put it, “being respectful of the
environment is part of our brand DNA.” By signing the agreement
with the World Heritage Alliance, Club Med is showing it intends to
live up to its progressive ideals. We can only hope other travel
companies are paying attention as well. K.S.
