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“A real opportunity”: Jacinda Lowry unpacks Club Med’s bold push in English Canada
06-03-2025
10:50 am
Michael Pihach
Michael Pihach is an award-winning journalist with a keen interest in digital storytelling. In addition to PAX, Michael has also written for CBC Life, Ryerson University Magazine, IN Magazine, and DailyXtra.ca. Michael joins PAX after years of working at popular Canadian television shows, such as Steven and Chris, The Goods and The Marilyn Denis Show.
Familiar name, fresh face. Club Med is ready to connect with more Canadians.
As the iconic all-inclusive pioneer celebrates its 75th anniversary this week with a major event at its Michès resort in the Dominican Republic, the brand’s sales team is turning a fresh page in Canada—specifically in the English-speaking market.
At the heart of this new chapter is Jacinda Lowry, named associate vice-president for Canada last year, who is spearheading a multi-tiered strategy to reinvigorate awareness and drive market share beyond Quebec.
Lowry, who relocated from Montreal to Toronto for the role, is overseeing a renewed push in Ontario, where about 15–20 per cent of Club Med’s Canadian sales are generated. By contrast, Quebec accounts for 80 per cent of Canadian business.
“Ontario – specifically, the Greater Toronto Area – has a lot of potential,” said Lowry, speaking to PAX at Club Med’s bright storefront on Queen Street West in downtown Toronto, a boutique-style travel agency that opened in December 2023. “The money is here.”
The storefront is symbolic and strategic. Designed with the same warm and welcoming aesthetic as Club Med’s resorts, it serves as a touchpoint for consumers and travel advisors alike.
“The objective was to gain brand awareness,” said Lowry, later giving us a walk-through. “People often walk in and say, ‘Wow, Club Med! I haven’t seen you in so long!’”
Lowry works from this space regularly to stay close to customer feedback—a hands-on approach that reflects Club Med's emphasis on relationship-driven growth in a market still warming to its evolved identity.
The renewed visibility on the street is also meant to benefit travel advisors as consumers in English-speaking markets rediscover Club Med.
Then and now
Yes, rediscover. Despite Club Med’s deep roots and global footprint—71 resorts worldwide and counting—many English-speaking Canadians still see the brand through an “outdated lens,” said Lowry.
For one, there’s a perception that Club Med is only for French speakers. “It’s one of those stereotypes we need to educate people about,” said Lowry. “Our clients speak all kinds of languages. They come from all over the world, which adds to the experience.”
READ MORE: Club Med opens travel agency in downtown Toronto
Sure, you’ll hear French at Club Med. Maybe even some German and Italian. And English too.
Anglophones needn’t worry. All of Club Med’s "G.O.s" (Gentle Organizers, the company’s emblematic employees) speak at least two languages – one of which must be English.
But language isn’t the only thing causing confusion. Lowry says that some travel advisors still ask if Club Med uses beads for redeeming drinks—a method retired several decades ago.
READ MORE: On Location: PAX unpacks Club Med’s €51M facelift at Buccaneer’s Creek & strategy for Canada
“Not all travel advisors have followed the evolution of Club Med,” said Lowry. “Their perception is still the old Club Med.”
When and how did this happen? Fierce competition in English Canada could be one reason. With so many vacation brands (and loyalty) to choose from these days, it’s hard to keep track of who’s doing what and where.
It could also be related to advertising. When Club Med stopped airing those sun-kissed “Hands up!” commercials, and shifted marketing dollars to Quebec, “we sort of fell off the radar,” Lowry said.
Those catchy TV ads won’t be returning anytime soon, Lowry said – because Club Med is no longer a mass market product.
With room categories like “deluxe,” and “superior,” and its high-end Exclusive Collection, Club Med is firmly positioned in the upscale segment. All of its 71 resorts are either four or five-Trident properties (Club Med’s lingo for stars).
“Resorts with two or three Tridents no longer exist,” Lowry said.
Exclusive Collection stays – the highest level – feature perks like suites, concierge attendants, private transfers, and champagne service. This category can exist as a “hotel within a hotel” concept, or as an entire property, like Michès in Dominican, Cefalù in Sicily, in Seychelles, or as a vessel, like Club Med 2, a five-masted sailing yacht.
The audience has shifted, too. The Club Med crowd began to change in around 2004 when the company transitioned from adult guests to actively appealing to the family vacation market.
Today’s core demographic includes multi-generational and active families, Lowry said. Active couples, too.
Another signal of the evolution is Club Med’s investment in infrastructure. For instance, Buccaneer’s Creek in Martinique, Club Med’s first resort in the Americas, recently underwent a €51 million ($78.9M CAD) renovation (click here to read PAX’s on-location story).
The flower-filled property (more accessible than ever from Toronto thanks to seasonal lift to Fort-de-France from Air Canada) is also getting a 56-room “Zen Oasis” section, an upscale hideaway concept for adults only, in 2027.
Other renovated properties include Club Med Cancun and Punta Cana. The latter suffered a fire last year and several sections, from restaurants to reception to superior rooms, are currently being rebuilt.
“By the end of October, it will be an entirely new resort,” Lowry shared.
Club Med Tinley South Africa, set to open in July 2026, will blend safari and beach experiences.
“It’ll be beach and the Big 5,” Lowry said.
What remains consistent, at all properties (“villages,” in Club Med speak), is the Club Med spirit, which is the notion of bringing people together, from different places, around happiness.
Direct & indirect growth
Club Med’s English Canada strategy has short, mid, and long-term goals. In the near term, boosting direct-to-consumer sales and supporting travel advisors is key, said Lowry.
“Direct sales have jumped to 25 per cent in Ontario,” she said. “But we also need to support our advisor partnerships.”
READ MORE: More upgrades coming to Club Med Cancun; Punta Cana resort getting a splash park
Lowry’s sales team now includes Natasha George, business development manager for Ontario and Western Canada, who joined recently, and Tyler Mattioli, who oversees new business in Ontario and the Maritimes.
Together, they’re building a network of travel professionals who understand—and can sell—modern Club Med. And showing off properties to the Canadian travel industry whenever possible. Club Med Magna Marbella in Spain’s Costa del Sol, for example, hosted TDC's National Leadership Conference in March.
“We’re looking for partners who are looking for something different – and who have the right audience,” Lowry said. “If a travel advisor has a client looking for a unique destination, with a lot of activities and great nightlife, then Club Med needs to be part of the conversation.”
Bookings made easier
Booking Club Med is now simpler than ever thanks to Club Med Agents, a user-friendly platform introduced during the pandemic. “It’s at 50 per cent adoption,” said Lowry. “It lets agents book independently so they don’t have to rely on the call centre.”
Agents can also now use SIREV via Softvoyage to book packages. Roughly 96 per cent of Club Med’s sales are packages that include flights and transfers, said Lowry.
Beyond the beach
And remember, Club Med isn’t just sand and sun. With 24 ski resorts—including 14 in the French Alps, one in Switzerland, one in Italy, and four in Japan —the brand dominates the all-inclusive ski scene.
Which shapes the Canadian strategy. Club Med’s research shows that 50 per cent of Canadians skiing in the Alps stay at a Club Med. The mountain packages include ski passes, lessons, and child care.
“We've eliminated all the irritants that might discourage a family from going,” said Lowry. “Parents can bring kids in their PJs to our Kid Clubs—and we take it from there. Parents can go off and enjoy a ski day.”
Doing it for the kids
Speaking of Club Med’s Kids Clubs—which, depending on the resort, serve children as young as four months—the feedback shared by younger guests plays a role in building long-term loyalty.
The brand’s outdoor activities, such as sailing, archery, biking, and even circus school – the line-up varies between properties – is known to earn high praise from kids and teens.
“It’s often the kids who convince parents to return,” Lowry said. “They’re not just in a room with a PlayStation or Xbox. They’re out there and active.”
Success at Charlevoix
Club Med’s debut in Canada with the opening of Club Med Charlevoix in Quebec in late 2021 has meanwhile set the stage for more resorts.
“Charlevoix has been a huge success,” Lowry said. “We sell out every winter, we do well in summer, and shoulder season sees a lot of conferences.”
A new ski property in North America is in the pipeline, either in Canada or the U.S., with an announcement expected soon. Club Med is also eyeing a new sun destination in Mexico or the Caribbean, Lowry said.
Club Med Turkoise in Turks and Caicos remains the brand’s lone adults-only property, which is leased (Club Med doesn’t own it), and is “always full,” Lowry said.
More adults-only experiences are in development, but the future lies in multi-zone resorts.
Concepts, for example, that follow the blueprint of Club Med Punta Cana, which features an Exclusive Collection neighbourhood, an adults-only Zen Oasis, and family-friendly areas.
“That’s what you’re going to see more of,” Lowry said.
The Ontario opportunity
With a growing team, new storefront, and revitalized portfolio, Club Med is seeking travel advisors in Ontario (and beyond) to partner up – and it’s an ambitious plan.
“We want to double our B2B business in English Canada,” said Lowry. “The clients are here. The first sale is always the hardest—but our high repeat and referral rate speaks for itself."
Her message to travel advisors? “It’s worth meeting with us,” she said. “There’s a real opportunity for someone who is looking for something different, and something premium.”
“With the right partners, it’s a win-win. We can only go up from here.”
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