Club Med president hails ‘remarkable’ Hainan development

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Henri Giscard d’Estaing, president of the global holiday company Club Med, has said southern China’s province of Hainan is on track to becoming a leading global vacation destination.

Speaking to CGTN Digital at the Boao Forum for Asia, the high-profile French businessman said he had witnessed “considerable and remarkable” development in Hainan over the past decade.

Henri Giscard d’Estaing, president of global holiday company Club Med, speaks with CGTN Digital at the Boao Forum for Asia in Boao, Hainan Province, China. /CGTN Photo

Club Med, which is majority-owned by Chinese conglomerate Fosun International, has six resorts in China including a beach resort in Hainan’s Sanya.

Giscard d’Estaing said that Hainan, which celebrates 30 years since being designated a province on April 13, has the potential to be one of the world’s leading holiday hot-spots – but upgrades are still needed.

“Obviously it will have to increase its airlift. What makes a truly very successful big international destination is the ability for customers to get there easily from everywhere in the world. And this has to be improved.”

The Frenchman added that while quality of service and training had got better they must still be worked on, and innovation is always important. He identified Fosun’s new Atlantis resort in Hainan as an example of innovation and development – a facility of its standards would have taken twice the five years to build outside China, he estimated.

Boao, Hainan Province, China. /VCG Photo

Fosun International, the Chinese international conglomerate, became the majority shareholder of Club Med in 2015 and has been a shareholder for a decade.

The holiday company has been an iconic French brand for over 50 years. Giscard d’Estaing said the partnership with Fosun works because “we know each other very well, and we trust each other.”

“Fosun gives to Club Med three things: first, a long term vision – this is one of the great qualities of successful Chinese companies. Second, obviously it helps us to grow faster in the Chinese market, which is already, in number of clients, our second market.

“And thirdly, as Fosun is a very sophisticated company that will focus a lot on innovation and technology, we benefit from this technological advantage, especially on mobile and digital, which then we use in all our markets worldwide.”

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Henri Giscard d’Estaing, president of global holiday company Club Med, speaks with CGTN Digital on the sidelines of the BFA. /CGTN Photo

“We first want to be very good,” the 61-year-old said. “What we’ve agreed upon with Guo Guangchang, the chairman of Fosun, and Jim Qian, the chairman of Fosun Tourism, is that what is most important is customer satisfaction.”

“We have operated with no special difficulties, or with no more difficulties than in any other places in the Western world,” he added.

Giscard d’Estaing said that since Club Med was created in 1950 it has only operated “in the most beautiful parts of the world, so we want to only be in the most beautiful parts of China. For instance if we take Sanya, we have there a beach which is ideal for families because there are no big waves, it's safe, and it's 15 minutes from the international airport.”

Club Med had around 200,000 Chinese guests in its domestic resorts alone last year, as well as visitors from around Asia and Europe. Giscard d’Estaing said the company’s aim is to bring people from around the world to China, as well as be an option for Chinese travelling overseas.

Boao Forum for Asia in Boao, Hainan Province. /VCG Photo

And he believes by attracting more tourists to China and boosting accessibility, the global image of the country will only improve.

“If we can continue to simplify everything related to travelling, it will be an advantage for Club Med and China. The more people from outside who visit China, and understand the reality of China and the unbelievable change of China, the better it will be for China.”

The company model is universal, he said, but there are a few subtle differences to cater to Chinese tastes, including his choice of Chinese cuisine, dim sum.

“We have globally the same model which is universal. Obviously the food will be adapted, we will have many more Chinese dishes and less European or French, even though we will have French cheese in each of our resorts!”

Boao Forum for Asia in Boao, Hainan Province. /VCG Photo‍

Lunch and dinner are served earlier than in Europe and there is karaoke, he added, but the resorts aim to have international appeal, helped by having staff from around the world. Ski and beach destinations in Europe and elsewhere are increasingly adding Chinese speakers to tap into the huge uptick in Chinese travelling overseas in recent years.

And what about Giscard d’Estaing – if he were to choose any Club Med holiday, where would he go?

“That’s the most difficult question! I can’t say. It’s a question with 70 choices!”