Club Med inaugurates first Canada-based agency in Montreal

Club Med Canada welcomed some fifty guests – partners, platinum customers, GOs, members of the media – for a cocktail reception last Thursday (April 21) to celebrate the official opening of its first Canada-based travel agency.

Located in downtown Montreal, Quebec, the brick-and-mortar business, which opened in January, promises "first-class in-person service for guests looking for seamless and expert travel support," according to a press release that issued in March.

Carolyne Doyon, president and general manager of Club Med North America and the Caribbean, travelled from Miami for last week’s event.

During her speech, she recalled that Club Med and Quebec have been living “a great love story for more than 50 years.”

READ MORE: Club Med opens first-ever Canadian-based travel agency in Montreal

Indeed, the company opened its office in Montreal in 1970 and today, some 80 people work in the Montreal office of Club Med.

The Club Med Montreal agency is the fruit of this love story between the company and the province.

Strategically located at 600 De Maisonneuve Boulevard West (on the ground floor of the KPMG Tower), the elegant and bright agency happens to be Club Med's first in Quebec, the first in Canada, and even the first in North America!

Ms. Doyon said the agency is meant to satisfy the great demand from Club Med customers as they have a desire to travel and are now ready to do so in large numbers.

READ MORE: Club Med to open 17 new resorts & complete 13 renovations by 2024

This echoes the remarks of vice-president, general manager of commercial operations of Club Med Canada, Vincent Giraud, who told PAX last March that the opening of an agency is meant to respond to the vigorous growth forecasted by Club Med in the Canadian market as the brand plans to open 17 new Club Med Resorts around the world by 2024.

“The opening of a branch aims to cope with this exceptional growth. The agency will enhance our visibility in Montreal and help us welcome new clients. It will be a tool to position ourselves for the rebound!” Mr. Giraud said.

In a new release last month, Giraud said Club Med is looking forward to opening additional Canadian locations. 

Cozy, warm, central 

Doyon is delighted that the flagship of Club Med in Montreal is in good hands as she warmly congratulated the agency team as well as director Isabelle Thivierge.

Speaking briefly, Thivierge underlined that the inauguration of the agency was only possible thanks to several months of intense work.

This work was done in close collaboration with the team from the interior design firm Conceptum.

READ MORE: Club Med launches V.I.P Lounge by Club Med at Quebec City airport

“This incredible team has truly designed every detail of the space to make it a place where GM encounters are hyper-personalized, with a focus on guest comfort,” Ms. Thivierge pointed out.

The space is divided into different areas to ensure that customers and advisors feel comfortable in a cozy and warm atmosphere, illuminated with bright colours and ambient light.

Murals add decorative touches and extend an invitation to travel.

The agency is also set up to welcome and engage both adults and children, even offering a virtual reality experience that invites customers to explore Club Med resorts around the world before deciding where to book.

The agency will also provide greater visibility for the brand at the street level and serve multiple functions by hosting events and speaking engagements for the community.

Celebrating Charlevoix

The first Club Med agency in Canada intends to promote the first Club Med Village in Canada.

Previously, Ms. Doyon had naturally praised the village de Charlevoix, another remarkable fruit of the great love story between Club Med and Quebec.

As the first Club Med resort in Canada and the first mountain village in North America, Club Med Québec Charlevoix opened in December 2021 – “and it has generated more than 700 direct and indirect jobs,” Doyon said.

READ MORE: Here's a first look at Club Med Québec Charlevoix's rooms, suites

According to her, Club Med Québec Charlevoix is something to dream about as much as, for example, the villages of Turquoise, La Caravelle or Miches.

“It's worth the detour even if it's in our backyard,” said Doyon, before concluding, praising Club Med's work.

“We are proud to continue flourishing here in Quebec!”

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