History
The year 2000 capped 50 years of Club Med history. The Club Med concept was born in 1950, when, during a camping trip with friends, Belgian sportsman Gerard Blitz recognized the need for a unique escape from the hardships of postwar Europe. He placed two small advertisements announcing the first all-inclusive vacation on the exotic island of Majorca. The response was overwhelming — and Club Mediterranee was born. The first village consisted of a number of army surplus tents in Alcudia, on the Balearic Island of Majorca. The first of Club Med’s famous straw-hut villages opened in 1952 on the island of Corfu, Greece. Five years later, Club Med opened its first ski village in Leysin, Switzerland, becoming one of the world’s first ski tour operators.
