ShanghaiMay 28, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — In late May, two major tourism industry events that captured global attention—the 2026 ITB China International Travel Trade Expo (ITB China) and Trip.com Group’s Envision.2026 Global Partner Conference—concluded successively. Club Med, the global pioneer of premium all-inclusive vacations under Fosun Tourism Group, made appearances at both industry events this week. At the ITB China venue, Club Med showcased its global vacation landscape centered on “sports vacations,” covering four major sports scenarios: water, land, summer mountain, and winter mountain. The brand also brought good news about the upcoming unveiling of two new resorts—Club Med Sabah and Club Med South Africa Beach & Safari—highlighting its continuously upgraded destination portfolio. Additionally, Jean-Charles FORTOUL, who recently assumed the role of CEO for Club Med Northeast Asia, made his public debut in this new capacity at both events, sharing insights on vacation trends and industry innovation, signaling Club Med’s commitment to leading experiential transformation.
Club Med Leads New Travel Motivations with “Sports Vacations”
As Asia’s leading international tourism expo, this year’s ITB China reached a new scale, bringing together 900 enterprises and organizations from 85 countries and regions to focus on new trends and opportunities in the Chinese tourism market and global travel industry collaboration.
The ITB China Forum, a key content segment of the expo, also underwent a comprehensive upgrade, with over 180 industry leaders from around the world engaging in in-depth sharing and discussions. In the “China Outbound Tourism” forum session, Club Med, alongside representatives from the Malaysia Tourism Promotion Board, the Abu Dhabi Department of Culture and Tourism, and BeMyGuest, explored how experiential travel trends are reshaping destination narratives and marketing. Club Med believes that Chinese consumers’ demand for “cultural and emotional resonance experiences” in travel is steadily rising, signaling an accelerated shift in tourism consumption toward a “lifestyle” orientation. Today, travel decisions are highly interest-driven, such as heading to South Africa for wildlife photography or enjoying a ski holiday in the Alps. Facing an increasingly personalized tourism market, Club Med leverages its global vacation landscape covering mountain, water, and land sports, along with diverse sports scenarios, to offer abundant possibilities for enthusiasts to realize their travel inspirations.
At Club Med’s booth, the brand highlighted new “sports vacation” inspirations, exemplified by the upcoming Club Med Sabah and Club Med South Africa Beach & Safari resorts. With 76 years of sports heritage, Club Med offers over 60 sports and activities across nearly 70 premium all-inclusive and luxury product line resorts worldwide, each location carefully selected. Thus, as guests become more enthusiastic about immersing in local cultures or pursuing sports vacations, they find Club Med an ideal choice for these experiences—whether it’s playing on a clay tennis court atop a cliff, hiking at the foot of Jade Dragon Snow Mountain, skiing down hundreds of slopes in the Alps, or swimming in the glassy waters of UNESCO biosphere reserves like the Maldives or Cancun—all scenes that inspire.
Efficiency Empowered by AI, But Warmth Always Created by “People”
At the Trip.com Group Envision.2026 Global Partner Conference, which also gathered global travel industry wisdom, Club Med shared insights and practices in the AI era with nearly 4,000 partners across the tourism supply chain. Currently, Club Med has implemented AI applications across the complete consumer journey, including personalized recommendations, content localization, intelligent customer service, and live streaming innovations. Club Med believes AI can enhance service efficiency and user experience, but the essence of a vacation remains the “warmth of genuine human connections.”
Mr. Jean-Charles FORTOUL, CEO of Club Med Northeast Asia, stated: “The G.O (Gentle Organizer) has always been the soul of Club Med, and this has never changed from the brand’s founding to the AI era. A key reason we deploy AI is to free our G.Os from repetitive tasks, allowing them to focus on interactions that create warmth and memories—accompanying children as they learn ski moves on the slopes, guiding guests in surfing and hiking, or gathering around for songs and laughter at night. At Club Med, AI can more precisely match guests’ vacation expectations, but the core experience and warmth are always delivered by our G.Os from over 100 countries and regions worldwide.”
Continued Deep Commitment to China, Connecting with New Generation Travelers as a Pioneer
The conclusion of these two events is not an end to reflection but a starting point for new exploration. What Club Med drives is not only the continuous optimization of vacation products but also an evolution in vacation philosophy: from receiving services to integrating into a vibrant global community, gaining authentic experiences of passion and joy. As the pioneer of the premium all-inclusive vacation model, Club Med enriches the dimensions of experience through “sports vacations,” using G.Os as a bond to forge genuine and unforgettable emotional connections between people, consistently leading new-generation travelers to expand their imagination and expectations of high-end vacations.