By Sharen Kaur
sharen@nstp.com.my
Published in NST on November 19, 2012
PETALING JAYA: France's Club Mediterranee, which operates the Club Med resort chain worldwide, is assessing opportunities to expand into Sabah and Sarawak.
The Paris-listed group, which has 80 properties in its portfolio, has owned and operated Club Med Cherating in Kuantan, Pahang, since 1979.
Malaysia was the group's first stop in Asia Pacific, as part of its global expansion plan.
Sprawled within an 80ha enclave, Club Med Cherating is also the largest resort under the "Club Med" banner in Asia Pacific, by land size.
Its country sales and marketing manager for Malaysia, Steven Tan, said the group is mulling setting up a replica of Club Med Cherating in Sabah.
"We were looking at opportunities in Sabah earlier and we are still on the look out in Malaysia. It is always in our discussion to expand in Malaysia. Tourism is great here. We love to have more resorts in our portfolio as we move along," Tan told Business Times in an interview recently.
Club Med Cherating has 297 traditionally-designed Malay kampung-style rooms in 15 three-storey buildings built on stilts. The structures are all made of teak.
Each room is selling from RM620 per person a night, which includes accommodation, three meals, snacking and free flow of alcohol and non-alcohol beverages and entertainment.
According to Tan, more than RM100 million has been invested in the development of Club Med Cherating since its opening.
Tan said despite the global financial turmoil, the total business registered by the Malaysian office has been in the region of around RM40 million to RM45 million per annum.
He said Club Med Cherating welomes around 35,000-40,000 visitors a year, made up mostly of locals.
"We have a growth about five per cent annually in number of new visitors to the resort in the past few years. Our global strategy of being upscale and premium has led to the increase, not just in Malaysia, but globally," Tan said.
The resort has about 25,000 active members from Malaysia. One can become a member (coupled with insurance coverage) for a fee of RM95 for the first year and RM65 for year-on-year renewal.
"Revenue has been increasing steadily over the past few years. Last year was a challenge because of the global economic crisis. Prices of goods and services had eroded. It is a challenge faced by any business."But things have improved now. We see more families and honeymooners staying at our place."
In 2004, when there was turmoil in the global market, the resort went through a RM30 million overhaul, which has helped to increase its occupancy rates from 50 per cent to between 60 per cent and 65 per cent.
-ends-
sharen@nstp.com.my
Published in NST on November 19, 2012
PETALING JAYA: France's Club Mediterranee, which operates the Club Med resort chain worldwide, is assessing opportunities to expand into Sabah and Sarawak.
The Paris-listed group, which has 80 properties in its portfolio, has owned and operated Club Med Cherating in Kuantan, Pahang, since 1979.
Malaysia was the group's first stop in Asia Pacific, as part of its global expansion plan.
Sprawled within an 80ha enclave, Club Med Cherating is also the largest resort under the "Club Med" banner in Asia Pacific, by land size.
Its country sales and marketing manager for Malaysia, Steven Tan, said the group is mulling setting up a replica of Club Med Cherating in Sabah.
"We were looking at opportunities in Sabah earlier and we are still on the look out in Malaysia. It is always in our discussion to expand in Malaysia. Tourism is great here. We love to have more resorts in our portfolio as we move along," Tan told Business Times in an interview recently.
Club Med Cherating has 297 traditionally-designed Malay kampung-style rooms in 15 three-storey buildings built on stilts. The structures are all made of teak.
Each room is selling from RM620 per person a night, which includes accommodation, three meals, snacking and free flow of alcohol and non-alcohol beverages and entertainment.
According to Tan, more than RM100 million has been invested in the development of Club Med Cherating since its opening.
Tan said despite the global financial turmoil, the total business registered by the Malaysian office has been in the region of around RM40 million to RM45 million per annum.
He said Club Med Cherating welomes around 35,000-40,000 visitors a year, made up mostly of locals.
"We have a growth about five per cent annually in number of new visitors to the resort in the past few years. Our global strategy of being upscale and premium has led to the increase, not just in Malaysia, but globally," Tan said.
The resort has about 25,000 active members from Malaysia. One can become a member (coupled with insurance coverage) for a fee of RM95 for the first year and RM65 for year-on-year renewal.
"Revenue has been increasing steadily over the past few years. Last year was a challenge because of the global economic crisis. Prices of goods and services had eroded. It is a challenge faced by any business."But things have improved now. We see more families and honeymooners staying at our place."
In 2004, when there was turmoil in the global market, the resort went through a RM30 million overhaul, which has helped to increase its occupancy rates from 50 per cent to between 60 per cent and 65 per cent.
-ends-
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