Club Med empowering parents and kids to reclaim time together on holiday
Introduction
Club Med, the leading premium all-inclusive holiday provider, is ensuring Aussies get the most out of their precious family holidays by deploying its award-winning1 Amazing Family program across major family-favourite resorts. With research finding the top travel motivator being spending time with loved ones2, Amazing Family offers shared experiences that enrich family holidays to create a lasting, positive family culture, and lifetime memories.
Revolutionizing Family Holidays with Expert-Backed, Fun-Filled Activities
With a third of families saying they spend fewer than five hours playing together per week3, the Amazing Family program ensures memory-making moments are at guest’s fingertips, breaking down traditional child/parent barriers, and focusing on family time that is practical, fun, and backed by experts.
After months of extensive consultation with childhood experts and anthropologists, the program was tested in Kamarina, Sicily in 2016 before being refined with further ethnographic research and guest input. Available now at 5 resorts (Indonesia, Italy, Morocco and two resorts in China), Amazing Family is being progressively rolled out and will be available at 21 resorts by the end of 2019.
In a five-pillar program of weekly activities, tailored to each local destination and led by a specially hired and dedicated team of staff, Amazing Family is designed to enable multi-generational families to enjoy quality time together:
• Time to Move: Games that encourage families to be energised and active together such as basketball, kite competitions, Olympic games, aqua gym or even Thai Boxing in Phuket
• Time to Play: Disconnect from phones and screens, with sensory activities like giant board games, Twister or Connect Four
• Time to Care: Meaningful activities with a local twist, raise environmental awareness and encourage personal wellbeing through family yoga, wildlife walks or local cooking classes
• Time to Quest: Flex your sense of discovery in a life-size treasure hunt around the resort grounds to uncover local culture, flora, fauna and wildlife
• Time to Celebrate: Designed to remove barriers of roles – there’s no difference between parents and children as everyone enjoys bubble or colour parties and inflatable castles.
Rachael Harding, General Manager Australia and New Zealand says, “Families are increasingly distracted at home; recent research found that 40 per cent of families’ shared time is spent checking smart devices4. With over 60 years’ experience of operating family-focused services, we know how to arm families with the tools they need to switch off the screens, take time to check-in with each other and ensure that holiday feeling lasts once they get home.”
Parenting expert Dr Justin Coulson who recently experienced Amazing Family at Club Med Bali talks to how holidays can positively transform relationships:
• Families of today are busy, even our children have packed diaries with extra-curricular activities, sports and social events to attend. Holidays offer the perfect setting to escape the stresses of daily life, spend time together and create lasting shared memories.
• Take the chance to experience new things as a family whilst traveling, whether it’s local cuisine, a team challenge or get active. Pushing the boundaries together can positively transform relationships.
• Play is vital for children’s development of cognitive and social skills, as well as confidence and independence, but family playtime is disappearing. Treat a holiday as a digital detox and live in the moment together.
• Holidays mean magic memories, new shared experiences, and deepening family bonds that connect us to what matters most - each other.
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Club Med's Comprehensive Approach to Kid-Friendly Resorts and Activities
As a pioneer of family-friendly resorts for over 60 years, Club Med continues to innovate to deliver best-in-class holidays with benefits comprising:
1. Kid-friendly services and facilities:
• Award-winning action-packed Kids’ Club for 4-17 year olds with care options for younger children from 4 months old, all under the guidance of expertly trained staff
• Hassle-free stay with a pram, sleeping cot, baby bath bottle warmers and sterilisers provided in the Baby Welcome pack. Bugaboo prams are also available at Club Med Bali, and soon to be rolled out across other Club Med family-favourite resorts
• Child-sized bathrobes, slippers, dental kits and backpacks in-room
• Kids can have a seat at the table with Bombol boosters provided, as well as an extensive child-friendly food options, high chairs, and baby restaurant
• Family accommodation – guaranteed interconnecting rooms and/or family rooms and suites
• Family-dedicated areas – family day beds, family pools and shade cloths above, stairs at the bar where kids can order their own juices and ‘mocktails’ from staff
2. Accessible family holidays with special discounts
• Tots under 4 stay FREE, kids from 4 – 11 up to 40% off, teens from 21 – 17 up to 20% off
• Added ease through the comprehensive all-inclusive package
3. Family-friendly activities
• Amazing Family program
The Amazing Family program is the final piece to the puzzle in offering memorable family holidays, designed to ensure all children feel considered on their holiday, just as much as their parents do, have freedom to develop autonomy, become citizens of the world, experiment in a fun and safe environment, and share precious family time together.