NICE — After a highly successful kickoff and a record number of pre-tours, scheduled meetings, and participants (more than 1,850 in total!), the Rendez-vous en France 2026 trade show fully lived up to its promises – complete with the famous sunshine of the French Riviera.

Atout France CEO Adam Oubuih said he was very proud of this 20th edition, which broke all records – including participation numbers – despite some delegations cancelling due to geopolitical tensions.

Mélanie Paul-Hus, director of Atout France Canada, was also very pleased with the event.

“We had a strong delegation of tour operators representing a wide range of interests and niches such as cycling, wine tourism, school trips, heritage and spiritual tourism, as well as more generalist operators,” said Paul-Hus.

More 1,000 buyers from 52 countries took part, including 21 participants from Canada representing 17 tour operators.

BACK-TO-BACK MEETINGS

Denise Lafond and her granddaughter, Maïka, from the agency Quel Beau Voyage (in St-Jean-de-Matha) during the evening at Océanice.

Most of the Canadian travel advisors we met at the show had very full appointment schedules and reported positive outcomes.

“I’m a regular at Rendez-vous en France,” said Denise Lafond, president of the agency Quel Beau Voyage in Saint-Jean-de-Matha. “For me, it’s always a great opportunity to meet my suppliers while keeping an eye on new products.”

For her part, Madison Dreith of Into the Vineyard in Vancouver said she appreciates being able to meet with contacts she regularly works with.

“I always dedicate about half of my meetings to suppliers I don’t yet know, so I can meet potential new partners and continuously enhance and diversify my offerings,” said Dreith.

STRONG RESULTS IN 2025 & AMBITIOUS GOALS FOR 2030

For 2025, the news is excellent: France reached 102 million visitors, making it once again the world’s top destination. According to Oubuih, part of this success comes from two key values that define France: excellence and its strong ability to innovate across multiple areas.

Looking ahead to 2030, Atout France’s goals are “ambitious but achievable.” France aims to stabilize visitor numbers at 100 million, while increasing tourism revenue to €100 billion by 2030 (up from €64 billion in 2024).

To achieve this, Atout France plans to focus on added value and diversification of markets and niches, including sectors such as agritourism, sports, and the legacy of the 2024 Olympic Games.

By 2030, France also aims to become the global benchmark for sustainable tourism.

“This may be the most ambitious goal of all, but we have many competitive strengths to achieve it,” Oubuih concluded.

MAJOR CULTURAL EVENTS ON THE HORIZON

In the coming years, France will also highlight several major cultural events, including the 100th anniversary of the death of painter Claude Monet.

Michael Dodds, director of Normandie Tourisme, explained that through the end of the year, around one hundred events – including exhibitions and a special edition of the Normandie Impressionniste festival – will take place across Paris and Normandy to celebrate Monet’s life, work, and landscapes.

According to Dodds, this presents excellent opportunities for tour operators to design itineraries featuring Monet’s homes or his famous garden in Giverny.

MILLENNIUM 2027

For the past three years, Normandie Tourisme has also been preparing an exciting project that continues to grow: the celebration of the 1,000th anniversary of the birth of William the Conqueror. It will celebrate the vast legacy left by the Normans across several European countries.

The Normandie Tourisme team was joined by representatives from tourism boards in Great Britain, Ireland, the Channel Islands, and ferry company Brittany Ferries, all expressing their enthusiasm for the celebration.

Nicknamed Millennium 2027, the project will also involve Flanders, southern Italy, as well as Denmark and Norway – highlighting the Vikings, ancestors of the Normans.

The full program is expected in the coming months, but organizers are already anticipating more than 700 events in Normandy alone.

“It feels like this project is becoming more and more unifying,” said the director of Normandie Tourisme. “The current context may play a role, but it seems we all want a meaningful, shared initiative that brings us together.”

READY FOR THE 2030 WINTER OLYMPICS

As for sporting events, it’s impossible not to mention the upcoming 2030 Winter Olympic Games (French Alps 2030), which will be hosted by two major regions, including Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes – hosting the Winter Games for the fourth time.

The host regions announced that competitions will be organized around four major hubs (and five Olympic villages), with events spread between the Northern and Southern Alps. Highlights will include the stunning scenery of Nice, along with the gastronomy and 200 Michelin-starred restaurants of the Rhône-Alpes region.

Organizers said accessibility, offerings and service quality will be improved by 2030.

NEXT RENDEZ-VOUS EN FRANCE: BORDEAUX

The 2026 Rendez-vous en France wrapped up with a traditional passing of the torch from one host city to the next. This year, Nice and the French Riviera passed the honours to the city of Bordeaux and the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region, which will host the next edition on March 23–24, 2027.

Goodbye, Nice – and see you next year in Bordeaux!