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ACCOR: Update on Accor/Club Mediterranee Synergies

Press Release: Accor
December 16, 2004
PARIS -- Following the European Commission's authorization on October 19th of Accor's acquisition of a 28.9% stake in Club Mediterranee, the two companies have identified the synergies to be developed and defined priority programs to be implemented.

Based on current estimates, these synergies will gradually contribute to both partners' earnings, with a combined net gain of 17 million euros forecast in 2005, 33 million euros in 2006.

Net gain from synergies should reach 46 million euros in 2007, of which 30 million euros for Club Mediterranee and 16 million euros for Accor.

    Total gains from synergies, based on current estimates (in million euros):


     Year            Accor            Club Mediterranee         Total
     2005              6                     11                   17
     2006             12                     21                   33
     2007             16                     30                   46


With 30 working groups involved in studying synergies beneficial to both Accor and Club Mediterranee, roughly 100 actions were identified in four major areas:

Increasing revenues. -- Optimizing purchasing. -- Sharing skills and expertise. -- Human resources.
Increasing revenues

The increase in revenues is currently expected to contribute a combined 19 million euros to 2007 earnings, of which 5 million euros for Accor and 14 million euros for Club Mediterranee. Synergies will result mainly from cross-selling of services to each partner's respective customers, with in particular:

A more visible, accessible offering on the two companies' websites and 
        in their loyalty programs, thereby enhancing their attractiveness.
     -- For Club Mediterranee, the support of the Accor network in markets
        where it holds strong positions (e.g. Germany, Brazil, China and
        Australia) and a European distribution network of 6,000 affiliated
        leisure travel agencies.
     -- For Accor, the distribution of its hotels by Jet tours.
     -- An expanded offering for both companies' business and leisure
        customers.


Optimizing purchasing

Based on current estimates, purchasing optimization is expected to result in net savings of 15 million euros in 2007, of which 7 million euros for Accor and 8 million euros for Club Mediterranee.

Four major purchasing families have been identified: air travel, consumables (food and beverages), onsite services (power, IT, laundry and cleaning) and advertising and marketing.

Sharing skills and expertise

Skills-sharing is expected to contribute an additional 12 million euros to combined 2007 earnings, of which 4 million euros for Accor and 8 million euros for Club Mediterranee. The resulting synergies will improve service quality by, for example:

Sharing best practices to improve call center service.
Developing new offerings on the Jet tours website using Go Voyages technology.
Creating a Hotel Service Manager position in the ten largest Club Med villages, with Accor's support.
Using Club Med Gym's expertise to enhance Accor hotel fitness products.
Human resources

In the area of human resources, synergies are qualitative in nature. They will create new opportunities for employees of both companies by encouraging mobility and making jobs in hotels and tourism more attractive. Specifically, best practices will be shared in the areas of hiring, mobility, training and expatriate management.

The study by Accor and Club Mediterranee teams was carried out in a highly constructive, enthusiastic atmosphere, with the active involvement of executives and key managers from both companies.

According to Jean-Marc Espalioux, Chairman and CEO of Accor Management Board, the acquisition of a 28.9% stake in Club Mediterranee, "is in line with our ongoing, long-term strategic commitment to meeting the needs -- from economy to luxury -- of all customers, whether they're traveling for business or for recreation and leisure."

With such an industry partner, Club Mediterranee, said the Chairman of the Executive Board Henri Giscard d'Estaing, "will speed its move toward a friendly, multi-cultural upmarket positioning and enhance its recovery."

With 158,000 people in 140 countries, Accor is the European leader and one of the world's largest groups in travel, tourism and corporate services, with two major international activities:

hotels: nearly 4,000 hotels (462,000 rooms) in 90 countries, casinos, travel agencies, and restaurants;
services to corporate clients and public institutions: 14 million people in 34 countries use a broad range of services (food vouchers, people care and services, incentive, loyalty programs, events) engineered and managed by Accor.
In 2004, the Club Mediterranee group achieved a 1,600 million euro turnover and welcomed 1.7 million customers.

Club Mediterranee, established under the brand name Club Med in forty countries on five continents, is the inventor and world leader of all-inclusive vacations since 1950, and has 90 villages by the sea and in the mountains, and one cruise ship, in some of the world's most beautiful locations.

Through its brand Jet tours, the group proposes a wide variety of tours and vacations all over the world along with the complete know-how of one of the leading tour operators in France.

Club Med Gym, a subsidiary of Club Mediterranee since 2001, has approximately 80,000 members.

Source: Accor