From inventing the all-inclusive holiday concept to pioneering kids' clubs and cashless stays, Club Med has been ahead of the game for 75 years. Olivia Palamountain reports

Club Med is celebrating its 75th anniversary in 2025, a milestone birthday for the brand that created concepts now considered standard across the holiday sector.

The company, founded in 1950 by entrepreneur Gérard Blitz on the Spanish island of Majorca, didn't just launch a holiday brand - it invented the all-inclusive concept itself.

What began as a "village" designed to foster a sense of togetherness regardless of race or religion, with guests staying in simple straw huts and a non-profit ethos, has evolved into a portfolio of 68 premium resorts across 40 countries. Club Med Cefalu is the brand's longest running resort. Opened in 1957, it remains in operation to this day, following a number of full-scale renovations.

"Our 75th anniversary is a celebration of Club Med's spirit of innovation and resilience throughout the years," says Anne Browaeys, CEO of Club Med EMEA and North America. "Since inventing the all-inclusive holiday in 1950, we have reinvented ourselves time and again to continue delivering a leading experience for our customers." The brand's innovation streak continued throughout the 1960s. In 1965, Club Med created the concept of buffet dining, which has since become ubiquitous in hotels worldwide. Two years later, in 1967, the company pioneered the kids' club concept with its Mini Club, designed to provide dedicated children's activities whilst giving parents time to relax.

Club Med's early cashless payment system, originally using Polynesian-inspired beaded necklaces, has morphed into today's digital bracelets that provide room access and cashless payments without the need for keys or cards.The company expanded into ski resorts in 1956 with Club Med Leysin in the Swiss Alps and now operates 25 mountain resorts worldwide, hosting 25,000 British skiers last season alone.

A significant transformation began in 2004 when Club Med President Henri Giscard D'Estaing initiated an upscale repositioning. The brand has since converted its entire portfolio to premium all-inclusive accommodations, including 20 Exclusive Collection resorts representing its most luxury category. Recent innovations include Club Med's first private-island resort in the Seychelles in 2019 and its return to Spain in 2022 with Club Med Magna Marbella, now one of the brand's bestselling resorts for UK customers.Looking ahead, Club Med continues to innovate with plans for its first dual beach and safari resort, opening in South Africa in 2026.