Everyone is booking all-inclusive package holidays again. Photo / Club Med
Everyone is booking all-inclusive package holidays again. Photo / Club Med
The all-inclusive holiday is surging in popularity, and leading the way is Club Med, a mainstay of the package holiday since 1950. This is why the world’s suddenly going ga-ga for it.
The old package holiday has undergone a chic overhaul
The ‘90s may be trending on the fashion circuit but none of us want to re-live the package holiday of 1995. Gone are the days when all-inclusive meant kids’ club reps parading the pool with clipboards and limp chips festering at the buffet.
Things have taken a rather upmarket turn.
Take a look at the website for Club Med (or their 2024/25 brochure if you’re feeling extra retro) and the resorts and locations will blow you away.
We’re talking modern hotels fronting ice-white Phuket beaches, overwater bungalows in the Maldives and ski-in, ski-out chalets in Japan.
Destinations are as far-flung as Brazil, and as tropical as the Caribbean. There’s even a Club Med French sailing yacht. Buffets haven’t been banished but they’re modern and chic, and complemented by a host of a la carte restaurants and cocktail bars.
Club Med's modern ocean-fronting resort in Phuket. Photo / Club Med
With an all-inclusive holiday your trip is paid for upfront. The very nature of this style of vacation means almost every expense is sorted months in advance.
For example, a Club Med all-inclusive holiday includes your room, daily housekeeping, all meals, drinks and snacks throughout the day, as well as all childcare services and kids’ clubs.
By the time you’re actually on holiday, you’ll barely need to dip into your pocket at all. That’s a nice feeling – and right now, with the cost of living at an all-time high, a cost-effective holiday is a priority for most holiday-makers.
With an all-inclusive holiday your trip is paid for upfront. Photo / Club Med
We’ve all got PPA - post-pandemic anxiety
We all have our own horror stories from the Covid years. Scores of companies, airlines and travel agents went into liquidation, taking our money with them.
It was extra problematic if you once considered yourself a bit of a DIY travel whizz; going straight to the deal rather than involving a third party such as an agent. Pre 2019 this could save travellers hundreds. Now we know that when things go awry, we risk losing thousands.
Covid has – understandably - made us nervy, with more and more people booking an all-inclusive holiday to ensure their money is spent in one place, with one company to deal with if a problem arises. Trust has returned to the travel experts and this includes the decades-old package holiday groups.
It’s so much more than a beach holiday
Back to the ‘90s again, when we all associated the package holiday with the beach – and any beach would do - things could feel a little nondescript. Surrounded by fellow foreigners and confined to the same resort-cum-compound, the connection with local culture was borderline obsolete.
Fast-forward to 2024 and we’re all hungry for cultural immersion.
Whether you fancy a safari holiday for two or a one-week foray into Indonesia with the family, the all-inclusive resort is very much your base from where you’ll get out and explore. From sake sampling in Japan to exploring Buddhist temples in Phuket, the package holiday now includes the best of both worlds: your comfort zone and the excitement that exists yonder.
Skiing in Japan with Club Med: The all-inclusive holiday is so much more than a beach resort. Photo / Club Med
Couples are booking in their droves
You can thank TikTok – to some degree – for promoting the humble package holiday.
According to Statista, Gen Z is ensuring the continued growth of the all-inclusive getaway, and the DINKS are booking more than ever. Value for money, comfort and ease all come into play, but when you consider how luxe an all-inclusive holiday can be, it’s no surprise they’re trending with the child-free.
Club Med’s ‘exclusive collection’ upgrade, available in select resorts, includes a private oasis within the complex, high-end accommodation options, exclusive pools, secluded villas (some with butlers), daily Champagne and an in-room daily breakfast, all within an elevated all-inclusive package.
A couple enjoying the view in Quebec. Photo / Club Med
Both parents and children get the holiday they crave
Travelling with kids can often be more exhausting than avoiding a holiday altogether.
If you’re a parent on the verge of canning all future vay-cays, stop and take a look at an all-inclusive package. You’ll find kids’ clubs galore.
At Club Med, there are separate all-day baby programmes for tiddlers aged 4 to 23 months; a toddler service for 2-3 years and various kids’ clubs to suit littles, tweens and teens. Most are open all day, kicking off as early as 9am and well into the night.
Other perks include evening group babysitting, restaurant areas reserved for babies and a selection of sweet and savoury purees, as well as dedicated family rooms and baby feeding rooms. Facilities will vary depending on location.
For any package holiday, keep an eye out for kids’ stay-free incentives and a list of available entertainment and activities.
Kids having a seriously good time at Club Med Punta Cana in the Dominican Republic. Photo / Club Med
It’s the perfect multigeneration meeting point
Determining most of our 2024 (and beyond) travel plans, is Covid. Yes, we’re sorry to say, but that beast from the east will continue to influence what and where we book for some time yet. Namely, how we travel to see extended family.
The popularity of a multigeneration holiday is on the rise, and rather than granny hosting the entire whānau at her house, we’re meeting halfway at a jazzy resort, in a destination everyone’s been dreaming about.
The easy answer is an all-inclusive package holiday. The grandkids are entertained around the clock, the parents get actual adults to hang out with, and no one’s confined to the kitchen cooking everyone’s favourite dinner.
With so many families unable to see one another for three-plus years, it’s the sun and fun-filled way to make up for lost time.
Check out all the snazzy resorts mentioned above at clubmed.co.nz
