by Mia Taylor
Last updated: 4:57 PM ET, Mon September 16, 2019
When it comes to family vacations, "togetherness" and intergenerational bonding opportunities, are two of the biggest drivers among travelers when it comes to both selecting a vacation and evaluating it later.
The findings are the result of a proprietary research project recently undertaking by Club Med, which involved surveying 300 parents who went on a multigenerational vacation within the past three years.
The study found that aside from safety, those surveyed identified spending quality time together (and activities that facilitate this such as accommodations, meals, and activities) as the most important criteria for a family vacation. Overall mood and ambiance throughout the trip came in third among respondents.
Club Med used this information to develop its newest in-resort programming, a just-launched concept dubbed Amazing Family.
Through its new Amazing Family program, the brand's various resorts will offer weekly activities designed to give multigenerational families the opportunity to bond, create shared memories, spend time together, reconnect and bring home new passions.
"When creating a new product offering, it's important for us to dive into what our guests - and potential future guests - need, want, and look for when planning their next family vacation. Only then can we truly create immersive experiences that fulfill their expectations," Sabrina Cendral, Club Med's vice president of marketing and digital for Club Med North America, said in a statement. "To create this program, our teams initiated a global research project to analyze the travel priorities of multigenerational families, broken down by their respective markets. Our teams found similarities across the board, which led to the creation of the worldwide Amazing Family concept."
The Amazing Family program is categorized into five activity times, each with their own uniquely themed offerings and are part of the all-inclusive vacation package. The categories include:
-Time to Splash - focusing on all things "water fun" (i.e., slip and slides, water volleyball, splash zones).
-Time to Play - participating in childhood-favorite games (i.e., giant-sized family board games).
-Time to Quest - solving mysteries and challenges as a family (i.e., treasure hunts).
-Time to Recharge - relaxing activities for all ages (i.e., family yoga classes, storytime).
-Happy Family Time - dedicated times for parents and children to participate in resort sports and activities together (i.e., family trapeze classes, archery, kayaking, pickleball).
"Our goal with the new Amazing Family program is to encourage families to put their phones down, disconnect from everyday stressors and reconnect with their families to create lasting memories," said Cendral. "Our resorts are built with multigenerational families in mind and are equipped with the finest amenities and activities, at no extra cost. Now we want to take the extra step to ensure that our guests can maximize their vacations while they stay with us, and to provide them with the tools necessary to fulfill their expectations."
Within the North American and Caribbean segment for Club Med, the Amazing Family concept began its testing phase in Club Med Punta Cana in May 2019.
Since then, the program has officially rolled out in Punta Cana and will expand to three other resorts shortly: Club Med Caravelle (October 2019), Club Med Cancun Yucatan (November 2019), and Club Med Miches Playa Esmeralda (November 2019).
By 2022, the concept will is expected to be featured in more than 30 resorts worldwide, including both beach resorts and ski resorts.
When Club Med Miches Playa Esmerelda, the first Club Med Exclusive Collection resort in the Americas, opens in November, its Amazing Family program will feature all five categories of the program.
Additionally, the resort is planning to unveil a hands-on family community garden ("Little Gardeners' House"), where parents and children will be able to learn about planting, recycling and composting, and then put the theory to practice.
The garden will provide a fun, immersive experience for all ages while offering an educational and sustainability-minded activity for children.
Each Club Med resort is expected to have at least two dedicated family entertainment experts whose sole responsibility will be to animate the new program and encourage families to spend time together during their vacation.
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