Club Med Shows Improvement in Sales and Earnings for Third-Quarter 2012

MIAMI, Sept. 14, 2012 /PRNewswire/ --

-  Consolidated revenue, as reported: €332 million up 2.7% [+ 3.5% on 9 months]

-  Villages revenue like-for-like: €330 million up 0.6% [+ 2.7% on 9 months]

-  Business volume like-for-like: €351 million up 0.3% [+ 2.7% on 9 months]

-  Number of 4 and 5-Trident customers: up by 9,000 or 4.8% [+ 6.7% on 9 months]

Year-to-date summer bookings at 8 September up 1.1%

4 and 5-Trident customer gains in the third quarter: 9,000 additional customers, a 4.8% increase that outpaced the 2.3% growth in 4 and 5-Trident capacity. Over the period, they accounted for 62.5% of Club Mediterranee customers.

Higher winter 2012/2013 bookings

The third-quarter 2012 financial results have been announced with positive figures, specifically for Club Med North America.

Snapshot of key figures for North America:

• +6.4% increase in bookings
• +4.8% increase in additional 4 and 5-Trident customers (for Club Med worldwide)

"Such growth, especially in first time visitors, can be attributed in great part to our transition to an upscale family product with a supporting marketing strategy," stated Xavier Mufraggi, President and CEO Club Med North America. "A key example is the renovation and re-positioning of our Florida  property, Club Med Sandpiper Bay. The resort features unique programs for kids, activities and high-level sports, and has been exceptionally received by loyal customers and new customers alike. We are confident in the North American market and hope to announce several projects to strengthen our portfolio with this target in the near future."

I. BUSINESS PERFORMANCE

Business volume

• For the first nine months of the year (1 November 2011 to 31 July 2012), business volume amounted to €1,149 million versus €1,119 million in the prior-year period, up 2.7% at constant exchange rates and the number of customers is up 18,000 (of which 42,000 4 and 5-Trident customers).
• In the third quarter, business volume rose by 0.3% at constant exchange rates.
• Capacity was reduced by 2% over the quarter, of which reductions of 7.1% in Asia (including the permanent closure of Lindeman Island in Australia) and 1.6% in Europe-Africa, including in particular the permanent closure of the Coral Beach Village in Israel and a proactive scaleback in capacity to reflect the expected deterioration in the European tourist markets.
• The number of customers declined to 325,000 from 331,000, a 2% decrease in line with the 2% reduction in capacity. The number of 4 and 5-Trident customers continued to increase, by 4.8%, adding 9,000 additional guests. They accounted for 62.5% of all customers, a four-point increase over the 58.5% recorded in third-quarter 2011.

Revenue

• Consolidated revenue stood at €332 million versus €323 million in third-quarter 2011, up a reported 2.7%.
• Villages revenue (excluding property development revenue) increased by 0.6% at constant exchange rates in the third quarter, as an improvement in average price which offset a 0.9% decline in the number of hotel days.

II – THIRD-QUARTER HIGHLIGHTS

Disposal of assets that no longer fit with the upmarket strategy, in line with the objective of having 4 and 5-Trident villages account for two-thirds of the capacity by the end of 2012

As part of the village portfolio management process and in order to meet the strategic objective of having 4 and 5-Trident villages account for two-thirds of the capacity by the end of 2012, a certain number of villages were sold or deconsolidated during the third quarter, including Bora-Bora (owned village), Lindeman Island (owned village) and Djerba Meridiana (leased village), which will have a €5 million cash impact and a €(5) million result impact in the second half.

Sustained marketing of the Valmorel chalets and Albion villas on Mauritius

Property development revenue amounted to €2 million in the third quarter.

The Albion villas program completed phase 1 and 2 over the period, with a total of 26 units sold, and has now launched marketing of a new phase with 5 villas.

Phase 1 of the Valmorel program comprises 27 chalets, of which 18 have been sold and another two are under option. The 19 units in phase 2 are being actively marketed, with 2 already reserved and 5 under option.

Accelerated repayment of a €50-million loan

On 31 May 2012, Club Mediterranee decided to move forward the repayment of a €50-million loan secured by the Cancun village. Initially repayable in 2017, the loan carried a 6.58% interest rate. After paying back the loan, the Group had €147 million in cash and cash equivalents as of 30 April 2012.

III. OUTLOOK 

Year-to-date summer 2012 bookings, by issuing market

Year-to-date summer 2012 bookings are 1.1% ahead of the summer 2011 figure. Bookings in the Americas are up 6.4%. Asia is impacted by the permanent closure of Lindeman Island. Excluding this village, bookings in Asia are up 0.9% to date, lifted by a 16% increase in the number of Chinese customers. Bookings in the Europe-Africa region are stable despite the decline in European tourist markets.

In France, year-to-date bookings as of 8 September are down a slight 0.6% for the season, to consider with a French market that contracted by 6.7% between May and July 2012 according to the French Tour Operators Association (CETO).

At the same date last year, year-to-date bookings represented more than 90% of the total for the entire summer 2011 season.

Over the past eight weeks, sales have slowed in Europe-Africa, due in part to the phasing this year of the French November school holidays in winter 2012/2013 and in part to the sustained deterioration in the European tourist markets. The Americas region is up a very strong 21.9% thanks to the launch of a new marketing campaign in Brazil. Asia is down 6.7% excluding Lindeman Island, due to the phasing this year in bookings, given the overcrowding of the Asian villages in August.

Supported by an active early booking policy, initial winter 2012/2013 sales are up compared with winter 2011/2012 bookings a year ago. As of the same date, the winter 2011/2012 bookings represented a third of the total for the season.

SOURCE Club Med