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All-Inclusive resorts where you can learn new skills while on vacation. 8 August 2026 Vacations are often about rest and relaxation, but what if they could also be an opportunity for growth? Imagine sipping a cocktail by the beach while learning how to cook authentic Italian dishes or mastering the art of scuba diving in crystal-clear waters. Sounds like a dream, right? Well, the good news is that an increasing number of all-inclusive resorts are catering to travelers who crave more than just sun loungers and buffet lines. They're offering immersive learning experiences that let you pick up new hobbies, refine existing skills, and return home with more than just a tan. So, if you're looking to make your time off more meaningful, check out these all-inclusive resorts where you can learn new skills while on vacation. 1. BodyHoliday, Saint Lucia - wellness & fitness training. If you've ever wanted to focus on self-improvement while enjoying a tropical paradise, BodyHoliday in Saint Lucia is the place to be. This luxury wellness retreat combines the best of relaxation and personal growth. At BodyHoliday, every day presents a new opportunity to learn. Want to perfect your yoga poses? They've got expert-led sessions. Never tried archery? Now's your chance to channel your inner Robin Hood. From fencing to Tai Chi to scuba diving, this resort turns your vacation into an exciting new chapter of self-discovery. The best part? You don't have to be a fitness guru to enjoy it. Whether you're a total beginner or an experienced athlete, their personalized approach ensures you leave feeling refreshed, stronger, and more confident than ever. 2. Club Med Punta Cana, dominican republic - circus skills with CREACTIVE. Ever dreamed of running away to join the circus as a kid? Now's your chance - with no life-altering decisions required! Club Med Punta Cana partnered with Cirque du Soleil to create CREACTIVE, a program that lets guests learn the tricks of the circus trade. From aerial silks to trapeze, trampoline jumping, and juggling, this program caters to all ages and skill levels. You'll get hands-on instruction from professionals who make every session fun, safe, and engaging. It's an incredible way to add some adrenaline-pumping action to your vacation while developing flexibility, strength, and coordination. So, whether you want to conquer your fear of heights or just try something totally out of the ordinary, this place has you covered. 3. Twin Farms, Vermont - culinary arts & wine appreciation. Food lovers, rejoice! Twin Farms in Vermont takes all-inclusive luxury to a new level by combining farm-to-table dining with culinary immersion. If you've ever wanted to cook like a gourmet chef (or at least understand wine pairings like a pro), this countryside retreat offers the perfect setting. Their culinary experience includes hands-on cooking classes, farm visits, and expert-led wine tastings. You'll learn how to craft seasonally inspired dishes using locally sourced ingredients, all while staying in one of the most beautiful landscapes in the U.S. And let's be honest - what's better than coming home from vacation with new cooking skills to impress your dinner guests? 4. Sandals Resorts, Caribbean - certified scuba diving. For those who crave adventure beneath the waves, select Sandals Resorts across the Caribbean offer PADI-certified scuba diving courses as part of their all-inclusive experience. If you've never gone diving before, you can start with basic instruction in the pool before heading out to explore breathtaking coral reefs, shipwrecks, and marine life. Already certified? You can take advanced diving courses or enjoy unlimited guided dives in some of the world's most stunning underwater locations. Scuba diving is one of those skills that opens up a whole new world of travel possibilities - imagine being able to dive in the Maldives, the Great Barrier Reef, or even the Red Sea after learning the basics at Sandals. Definitely a vacation investment worth making! 5. Miraval Arizona Resort & Spa - mindfulness & meditation training. For those who want to return from vacation feeling not just relaxed but truly transformed, Miraval Arizona Resort & Spa offers an intensive focus on mindfulness, meditation, and self-discovery. This all-inclusive wellness sanctuary provides workshops in guided meditation, stress management, and even equine therapy (yes, you can learn about mindfulness with the help of horses). In today's fast-paced world, learning how to practice mindfulness is an invaluable skill. And what better place to do it than in a peaceful desert oasis where every detail is designed to help you reset and recharge? 6. Anantara Chiang Mai, thailand - Thai cooking & Muay Thai kickboxing. If you've ever wanted to perfect the art of Thai cuisine or try your hand (and feet) at Muay Thai kickboxing, Anantara Chiang Mai is the resort for you. Their all-inclusive package includes cooking classes led by professional Thai chefs, where you'll learn to make everything from rich curries to delectable mango sticky rice. If you're craving something more physically challenging, their Muay Thai training sessions - led by experienced fighters - will help you master this ancient martial art while breaking a sweat. This resort is proof that vacations don't have to be lazy to be enjoyable. You can indulge in delicious food and get an exhilarating workout all in one trip. 7. Lapa Rios Lodge, Costa Rica - wildlife conservation & sustainable living. For eco-conscious travelers who want to deepen their understanding of sustainability, Lapa Rios Lodge in Costa Rica offers hands-on conservation programs set in a breathtaking rainforest. Guests can participate in guided wildlife tracking, reforestation projects, and educational sessions on environmental protection. You'll learn how to live more sustainably while experiencing one of the most biodiverse places on Earth. This resort is perfect for those who want to connect with nature and bring back valuable lessons about conservation to apply in their daily life. 8. The Ritz-Carlton, Grand Cayman - photography workshops with experts. Ever wished you could capture stunning travel photos that look professional? The Ritz-Carlton in Grand Cayman offers photography workshops led by experts to help you achieve just that. Set against the backdrop of the Caribbean's mesmerizing beaches, these workshops teach composition, lighting, and camera techniques - so you can finally move beyond blurry vacation snapshots. Even if you only have a smartphone, their instructors will show you how to take stunning, Instagram-worthy pictures. Because let's be real: every trip deserves photos that do it justice. 9. Alila Ubud, bali - traditional Balinese arts & crafts. Bali is known for its deeply rooted artistic traditions, and at Alila Ubud, you can immerse yourself in its creative spirit. Guests can take classes in traditional Balinese painting, wood carving, and batik fabric making. Skilled local artisans guide you through the process, ensuring you walk away with not just knowledge but also a personally crafted souvenir. If you've ever wanted to add a touch of creativity to your travels, this is a meaningful way to do it. Why skill-based vacations are the future. Traveling is no longer just about relaxation - it's about transformation. More and more people want vacations that offer experiences they can take home with them, whether it's a new hobby, a fresh perspective, or an enhanced skill set. These all-inclusive resorts prove that a holiday can be both indulgent and educational. Instead of returning with just memories, why not come back with something that lasts - like a new passion, a certification, or a life-changing skill? all images in this post were generated using AI tools Discussion. rate this article 0 comments

Innovating with AI Because Reinvention Is in Cirque du Soleil's DNA. August 7, 2026 For audiences, Cirque du Soleil is about wonder: gravity-defying performers, breathtaking costumes, immersive music, and moments that feel almost impossible. But behind every performance is something just as remarkable: a highly complex global business operation. It reinvented circus arts and became a world leader in live entertainment, performing for more than 365 million spectators in 90 countries. Today, the organization operates 38 shows in cities around the world, supported by over 4,000 touring artists and staff from more than 80 countries. Each touring show functions like a moving profit center. A production may operate in Mexico City, then move to London, then Paris - bringing with it new companies, employees, assets, tax requirements, local regulations, merchandising operations, and artists from dozens of nationalities. As Philippe Lalumière, vice president of Information Technology at Cirque du Soleil, explains, "People underestimate the complexity of running a circus." An enterprise AI platform built for your business Orchestrating an autonomous accounts payable process. This is especially true for the company's accounts payable (AP) department. Every year, more than 70,000 invoices flow through Cirque du Soleil, non-stop, 24/7. Around 40% of vendor inquiries are standard requests for invoice status. But answering those questions was far from simple. AP specialists had to search across systems, review invoice histories, understand payment status, determine the cause of delays, and manually respond. The work was repetitive, time-consuming, and emotionally draining. "From a morale point of view, receiving e-mails from suppliers, some of them a bit impolite because they're asking, 'When are we going to get paid?' - it's not a fun job," Lalumière says. Finding the right problem to solve - putting AI into action. As an SAP customer for more than 25 years, Cirque du Soleil knows firsthand how to leverage SAP technology not only to run its operations, but also to reinvent them. Cirque du Soleil, known as an early adopter and leader in digital transformation, was approached by SAP AppHaus with a question: how could SAP generative AI technology be used to improve your business processes? The answer emerged through collaborative workshops involving SAP, Cirque du Soleil's IT team, and business users across its departments. Accounts payable quickly rose to the top due to its lean structure, high volume of interactions, and clear automation potential. And the choice aligned with the broader business evolution - AP automation is one of the most widely adopted AI use cases across industries. With a clear opportunity identified, Cirque du Soleil and SAP moved from ideation to execution, developing an AI-powered solution that automated AP processes and improved responsiveness. AI enters stage right - from vision to reality. The workshops led to something more than an automation project - they led to Genato, a multilingual AI agent that now works alongside the AP team. The polyglot agent scans the AP inbox, analyzes sentiment, identifies urgency, extracts invoice numbers from messages and attachments, connects to SAP data to retrieve invoice status, and drafts a response for human review. If it cannot find an invoice or resolve an inquiry, it flags the issue. "Trust in the quality of the answers coming from the agent was an initial concern," Lalumière says. "But, the team quickly realized that Genato's information was spot on." Together, Genato and the AP team now serve Cirque du Soleil's diverse global supplier network more efficiently. Lalumière, however, is clear about one thing: "Yes, AI is a very powerful tool, but it's not pixie dust. Sprinkling AI into processes is not going to solve everything. There is work involved." That work included designing appropriate connectors and integrating with the company's SAP and AP systems using SAP Business AI Platform. This enterprise AI foundation can bring together capabilities and technologies (think SAP Business Data Cloud, Business Transformation Management solutions, and SAP Business AI), unifying AI, data, process context, and governance, so customers can build, integrate, scale, and run AI that delivers business impact while working to ensure the solution is sustainable and cost-efficient. The impact was evident almost immediately. Generative AI began prioritizing urgent supplier requests, retrieving invoice information, drafting responses, and translating communications automatically, delivering measurable improvements across the AP organization: * 97.92% improvement in handling priority requests * 25% reduction in AP backlog * 25% faster response times for non-urgent inquiries * Improved vendor satisfaction and employee morale The impact on employees cannot be overstated. By removing repetitive research and emotionally charged supplier follow-up from the team's workload, Genato has become more than a tool. "We now include Genato as a virtual team member," Lalumière explains, "It's a paradigm shift." That adoption is the clearest sign of success. Lalumière recalls that after the prototype moved into production, one of the end users made her feelings clear: "No, no, no, you cannot take it away from me! There is no way I'm going to live without it now." Today, she is one of the solution's biggest ambassadors. Collectively, the solution demonstrates how AI can be introduced into a focused business process, quickly earn user trust, and create a blueprint for broader enterprise innovation. As Lalumière puts it, "You could say we're an SAP shop." The next act of AI innovation. For Cirque du Soleil, accounts payable is only the beginning. Lalumière believes that "AI is a huge and beautiful tool, but you still need human judgment to prioritize use cases and move forward." He also sees AI evolving across three layers: personal productivity with solutions such as Joule; AI applied to business processes, such as Genato; and, eventually, AI embedded in the audience experience itself. "I think we're at the dawn of a new era of circus arts," he says. His advice to others beginning their AI journey is simple: start small, involve users early, and be willing to experiment. "Try a small proof of concept and be ready to throw them away," Lalumière says. "The AI train is moving, and you have to hop on." For a company built on reinvention, transforming accounts payable may seem far removed from the spotlight, but for Lalumière, the principle is the same: innovation happens when people are willing to rethink what's possible. Today, that mindset is improving back-office operations. Tomorrow, it may help redefine the audience's experience. The full episode. * Thought leadership podcast: Lalumière sat down with Thulium CEO Tamara McCleary to discuss the shifts in the business and in the world that inspired Cirque du Soleil's AI vision and application, and how others can learn from their journey. * Practitioners' video: Lalumière shares technical insights and advice with Timo Elliott, VP and global innovation evangelist at SAP, about Cirque du Soleil's AI applications, user experiences, and how the combination of both is essential to Cirque du Soleil's automation journey. Sid Misra is CMO of SAP Business AI Platform Technology Foundation. Top image courtesy of Cirque du Soleil. 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Cirque du Soleil uses AI to enhance financial operations and audience experience. By integrating AI into its accounts payable processes, Cirque du Soleil is not just upgrading technology, but transforming its operational efficiency and vendor interactions, a crucial step for a global leader in live entertainment. Key facts. * Cirque du Soleil serves 365M spectators, showcasing its global market dominance in live entertainment. * AI reduced AP backlog by 25%, highlighting efficiency gains and operational cost savings potential. * Genato's 97.92% improvement in priority request handling reveals significant competitive advantage in responsiveness. * Enhanced vendor satisfaction indicates improved financial relationships, potentially lowering operational risks. * Future AI applications may redefine audience experiences, signaling strategic shifts in entertainment delivery. Summary. Cirque du Soleil, a leader in live entertainment, faced challenges in its accounts payable (AP) department, where over 70,000 invoices were processed annually. To enhance efficiency and responsiveness, they implemented Genato, a multilingual AI agent that automated AP processes, resulting in a 97.92% improvement in handling priority requests and a 25% reduction in AP backlog. Background. Cirque du Soleil operates in the live entertainment industry and has performed for over 365 million spectators in 90 countries. With 38 shows running globally and a workforce of over 4,000 touring artists and staff from more than 80 countries, the organization manages a highly complex business operation. Before deploying AI, the AP department struggled with high volumes of repetitive inquiries and manual processes. Challenge. The AP department needed to address the inefficiencies caused by the high volume of vendor inquiries, particularly the 40% of requests related to invoice status. AP specialists faced a time-consuming and emotionally draining process of searching across systems to respond to these inquiries. Solution. Cirque du Soleil collaborated with SAP to develop Genato, an AI-powered solution that automates AP processes. Genato scans the AP inbox, analyzes sentiment, identifies urgency, extracts invoice numbers, retrieves invoice status from SAP data, and drafts responses for human review. The integration with the SAP Business AI Platform allowed for a seamless connection with existing systems. Results. The deployment of Genato led to significant improvements in the AP department: * 97.92% improvement in handling priority requests * 25% reduction in AP backlog * 25% faster response times for non-urgent inquiries * Enhanced vendor satisfaction and improved employee morale Key insights. Cirque du Soleil's experience highlights the importance of starting small with AI initiatives, involving users early in the process, and being open to experimentation. The successful integration of AI can lead to substantial improvements in operational efficiency and employee satisfaction. Customer testimonial. "From a morale point of view, receiving e-mails from suppliers, some of them a bit impolite because they're asking, 'When are we going to get paid?' - it's not a fun job." - Philippe Lalumière, Vice President of Information Technology at Cirque du Soleil. Entities mentioned. Cirque du Soleil SAP Business AI Platform Technologies generative AI Philippe Lalumière Tamara McCleary Timo Elliott Key concepts. AI in business processes automation of accounts payable digital transformation vendor relations employee morale user trust in AI collaborative workshops innovation in circus arts Definitions. * Generative AI - A type of artificial intelligence that can generate new content or responses based on input data. * Accounts Payable (AP) - A financial process that involves managing and processing invoices and payments to suppliers. * SAP Business AI Platform - A platform that integrates AI capabilities with business processes to enhance operational efficiency. * Virtual team member - An AI tool or agent that assists human teams in performing tasks and improving productivity. * Digital transformation - The integration of digital technology into all areas of a business, fundamentally changing how it operates and delivers value. Use cases. * | Automating accounts payable processes * | Improving vendor inquiry response times * | Enhancing employee morale through reduced workload * | Prioritizing urgent supplier requests * | Translating communications automatically * | Creating a blueprint for broader enterprise innovation Frequently asked questions. How has Cirque du Soleil implemented AI in its operations? Cirque du Soleil has implemented AI through the development of Genato, a multilingual AI agent that automates accounts payable processes, improving efficiency and responsiveness. What are the benefits of using AI in accounts payable? The benefits include significant improvements in handling priority requests, faster response times, reduced backlog, and enhanced vendor satisfaction, leading to better employee morale. What advice does Philippe Lalumière give for starting AI projects? Lalumière advises starting small, involving users early in the process, and being willing to experiment with proof of concepts that may need to be discarded. What is the role of human judgment in AI implementation? Human judgment is crucial for prioritizing use cases and ensuring that AI applications align with business needs and objectives. How does Cirque du Soleil view the future of AI in their operations? Cirque du Soleil sees AI as a powerful tool that will evolve across various layers, potentially enhancing not just back-office operations but also the audience experience in the future.