In-depth Interview | The Global Business Philosophy of Club Med Ski Resorts

Club MedAnother key feature of Club Med ski resorts is their global presence.G.OThe resorts have a unique group of people calledG.O, which is short forgentle organizer, translated into Chinese as “Gentle Organizers” or more commonly “G.O.s.” Some may think of them as resort staff; in a sense, they do serve the guests, but they are not your typical service workers. They don’t make beds, clean rooms, or serve food. Instead, they represent the resort’s management, dining with guests, playing with them, and teaching them how to ski. They share an equal relationship with the guests — living in the same guest rooms and dining at the same restaurants. For example, guests might see a G.O. approach them with a tray and ask, “May I join you for a meal?” Across various roles, their primary mission is to ensure guests have a great time. In the kids’ club, they engage with children, teaching them to use play equipment and ski. In the sports and entertainment departments, they might join guests for activities like trapeze or windsurfing. On the ski slopes, they instruct guests of all levels.G.OThey are a very diverse group of individuals. Each resort is required to have betweenG.Oand120G.O.s.150nameGOTheseG.Omust come from20more than one country, with the hope that guests can experience multiculturalism at the resort. Even within China, at resorts like Beidahu and Yabuli, you can still seeG.Ofrom various countries around the world, who can serve Chinese guests together with them.G.OThisClub Medis a major highlight.

Club MedThe third characteristic of ski resorts is highly professional ski lessons. AtClub Medresorts, all-inclusive packages already include ski lessons. When guests arrive at the resort, whether they prefer snowboarding or skiing, they can choose lessons based on their interests and skill levels.Club MedEach ski resort20offers more than ten different ski lessons, ranging from beginner to intermediate and advanced levels, for both snowboarding and skiing, and for adults as well as children. There are tailored courses to meet diverse needs, allowing skiing to be progressive and fulfilling for users’ sense of self-achievement.

AtClub Medski resorts, all instructors hold professional ski certifications from the École Nationale de Ski et d’Alpinisme (French National Ski School). This reflectsClub Med’s consistent commitment to professionalism. For ski lessons,Club Medhas distinct professional advantages: first,Club Medit fully caters to the preferences of skiers of all levels; second, it ensures safety, which is a crucial aspect for skiing enthusiasts.

Additionally,Club Medall ski equipment used at the resort has undergone professional comparison and careful selection. Only one ski equipment manufacturer is used —Rossignol. This brandis a champion-level name in the skiing world, used by many top athletes. Another point is the tuning of the skis. Regular skiers may notice that some ski resorts do not offer very professional ski tuning. ForCLUBMED, not only are skis adjusted according to your height, weight, and foot size, but also based on whether you are a beginner, intermediate, or advanced skier. This ensures guest safety during skiing while also enhancing the overall skiing experience. Skiing atClub Medis not just a great sporting experience; we also refer to it as a ski vacation. You can enjoy not only skiing but also gourmet food, various activities, indoor and outdoor hot springs, swimming pools, the thrill of aerial performances, and evening entertainment shows after skiing. Many skiing enthusiasts ski during the day in the mountains, and when the sun sets and the wind picks up, they head down the mountain. What to do with the rest of the evening? AtClub Medresort, you’ll find there aren’t enough hours in the day — and that’sClub Medresort’s unique charm.

Club MedMr. Song Yungang also provided further analysis on the current state of the skiing industry in the Asia-Pacific region. Currently, the skiing industry in the Asia-Pacific area is gradually maturing, especially in China. With the successful bid for the2022Winter Olympics and strong government support, indeed more and more people are taking to the slopes and falling in love with skiing. At the same time, we can see that more and more schools and parents now want their children to participate in skiing, as it greatly benefits children’s physical and mental development, as well as their ability to face and manage challenges in nature. However, we must also face a reality: although more people are hitting the slopes, taking Beijing as an example — currently the city with the highest number of skiers in China — most skiers in Beijing are78%“day skiers,” meaning they ski in the morning, come down the mountain after one run, and return home in the evening. This is a typical issue. We also note some statistics: for instance, those who ski only once during the entire winter make up80%of all skiers — this is a one-time experience. Only20%of skiers consider themselves skilled enough to continue. But skiing should be a joyful and highly engaging sport — so why do so many people ski just once and never return? It’s because they don’t have a great experience on the slopes. We conducted a random survey among these80%individuals about why they didn’t ski again after their first try, and27%of them cited that skiing is too dangerous — that it’s a risky sport.23%Respondents believe that the overall experience was not good; some felt the snowboards were too heavy and that they had to walk too far. Female respondents, in particular, said they found it difficult to carry the heavy boards over such long distances. Others mentioned that the snow boots were uncomfortably tight.50%Some also stated that after trying skiing just once, they weren’t sure if they’d do it again—and that’s a major issue. So now we’re thinking about how to get more people to fall in love with skiing, especially from a young age. That’s very important, andClub Medit’s something we’re currently actively working on with ski resorts in Beijing. We hope to bringClub Medour skiing experience into the services offered by these resorts,Club Medand we’re actively collaborating with ski areas around Beijing to establishClub Medski schools. We’re sending instructors from these resorts toClub Med[our training center] for professional instruction, so they can understandClub Medour service standards as well as our philosophy and approach to skiing, and then bring these teaching concepts back to the ski resorts near Beijing. This will help inspire more skiing enthusiasts to truly love the sport, rather than just trying it once and never coming back. Additionally, roughly70%of the participants only ski during the day for a single day. A one-day experience makes it hard to fall in love with skiing because it lacks a process of continuous improvement. That’s why we’re gradually cultivating and establishing the concept of a “skiing holiday,” allowing users to spend three or four days—or even longer—at a ski resort to enjoy the fun of skiing while quickly improving their skills. Muscles have memory, but building that memory takes time. On the first day, you might be at a beginner level. When you go back home and return a month later, your muscle memory is gone, and you’re back to square one. Without several consecutive days of skiing, it’s hard to experience the thrill of speeding down the slopes.