by Natasha Lair
Last updated: 1:00 PM ET, Wed February 19, 2025
TravelPulse Canada was on the ground at the Atout France "Destination France 2025" roadshow in Toronto on Feb. 18, 2025. This was the second stop of the four-city tour (which kicked off in Montreal), where 23 French and local exhibitors connected with Canadian travel professionals at the Marriott City Centre.
The event featured a bustling trade show with scheduled appointments, fostering over 200 face-to-face meetings between tourism professionals and exhibitors.
The meetings laid the groundwork for future itineraries, tours, or enhancements to existing products.
Focus on Sustainable Tourism
Following a year of record tourism in France, the focus was on promoting shoulder season stays and extended visits to help mitigate overtourism. The reopening of Notre Dame de Paris and major cultural events continue to position France as a top destination for international travellers.
Bertrand Pous, Consul General for France (Photo Credit: Riverside Photographers)
The Consul General of France in Toronto, Bertrand Pous, attended the event, engaging with exhibitors and travel professionals. France is still assessing the impact of an exceptional 2024, with 100 million international visitors and €71 billion in revenue, a 12% increase from the previous year.
For international customers, overnight stays were up 7.3%, driven by rental accommodation (+16.4%). International revenues are the highest ever recorded.
The success of the Olympic and Paralympic Games, the 80th anniversary of the Normandy landings, and cultural heritage have kept France at the forefront of global tourism.
Mélanie Paul-Hus, Director of Atout France's Canadian office, emphasized the importance of continued innovation and sustainable tourism. In an interview with TravelPulse Canada’s Managing Editor, Natasha Lair-McKenty, Paul-Hus explained this year’s theme, “Keep the Pace,” which focuses on maintaining post-Olympic momentum while making France a more sustainable destination.
“How can we accommodate and create beautiful experiences, continue to expand in this trend, and try to make it a serious business for France to improve in the long term? Sustainability has always been crucial in our industry,” Paul-Hus said.
“It's vital, and at the same time, it's a lot of work. So, ‘keeping pace’ means finding new ways to be sustainable and trying to convince local authorities, consumers, and our industry to join the trend and be advocates.”
She highlighted that longer stays, with an average of 10 nights, help avoid peak travel seasons and encourage train travel. “Canadians naturally fit this trend because we have great connectivity year-round to many French cities,” she said.
Paul-Hus noted that while Canadians continue to favour classic destinations like Paris, there’s an opportunity to experience them differently.
“We want to show a side of Paris where maybe travellers have visited Versailles before but haven’t thought of spending a whole day there,” she explained. “It's about getting information from guides, spending an afternoon in an amazing park that has history in it. We’re trying to give a different perspective on some of the classic spots in France.”
Gastronomy remains a key draw for visitors, with 2025 marking the 15th anniversary of UNESCO’s recognition of the gastronomic meal of the French. Paul-Hus pointed to destinations like Dijon Burgundy as emerging hubs for gastronomy and wine tourism, offering new experiences for Canadian travellers.
“Now, some destinations that were not that interested in Canada are changing their minds and thinking this country will bring us clients that are the ones that we want to welcome, the ones that will be the most respectful of our destination and have sustainability in mind,” she told TravelPulse.
Recognizing Industry Achievements
The event also celebrated achievements within the travel industry. Alida Lio of The Travel Agent Next Door was recognized for her dedication to the France Connaisseur training program.
The Destination France 2025 Award, sponsored by Air Transat, went to Globus Family of Brands for its "Paris & Provence – A Small Group Discovery" tour.
Renée Bénard, BDM, Air France (Photo Credit: Riverside Photographers)
Updates from the Airlines
Air France, the official partner of the Destination France 2025 roadshow, announced an enhanced traveller experience with its new Business cabins available from Toronto, Vancouver, and on select Montreal flights. Air France Premium also now offers new seats with wireless charging and Bluetooth from Toronto and Vancouver.
KLM’s World Business cabins are accessible from Toronto, Calgary, and Edmonton.
Travellers can experience Air France lounges in Montreal and the KLM Crown Lounge in Toronto before departure or during layovers. In Business class, Air France offers meals prepared by chef Olivier Perret. The airline group also highlighted its extensive network in Canada, with seven stops and free shuttle service between Ottawa, Quebec, and Montreal to Paris or Amsterdam. A partnership with WestJet enables connections to 35 Canadian cities.
Additionally, KLM will launch a new route to Biarritz in summer 2025.
Air Canada: Yazdan Bakhtiary, Manager, Regional Sales; Jamie Fox, Senior Manager, Regional Sales (Photo Credit: Riverside Photographers)
Air Canada, a partner of Destination France 2025 and sponsor of the roadshow’s cocktail events, highlighted its direct flights from Montreal to Paris, Lyon, Toulouse, Nice, Fort-de-France, and Pointe-à-Pitre. Through partnerships with SNCF and AccessRail, new air-rail connections make travelling within France easier. Air Canada will roll out free WiFi in May 2025.
Air Transat connects Canada to Paris plus seven regional cities: Nantes, Bordeaux, Toulouse, Marseille, Nice, Lyon, and Basel/Mulhouse. It remains the only airline offering direct flights to Marseille and Nantes.
Investing in Advisor Training
Atout France highlighted its France Connaisseur training program, recognized by ACTA, which supports advisors in developing specialized knowledge of French destinations. New modules have been added, including one on sustainable tourism and another focused on wine tourism.
Atout France partners participating in Destination France 2025
Château de Versailles
Comité Régional du Tourisme de l’Occitanie
Toulouse-Blagnac Airport
Nîmes Tourism
Air France
Perpignan Tourist Office
Montpellier Tourist Office
Air Transat
Normandy Tourism
Juno Beach Centre
The Grand Tour
CroisiEurope
Baverez Hotels
Découvertes DMC
Carcassonne Tourist Office
Marseille Convention and Visitors Bureau
Martinique Tourist Office
Guadeloupe Islands Tourist Board
Paradis Latin Cabaret
Dijon Bourgogne Tourism and Convention Bureau
Saint Martin Tourism
French Bee
Air Canada
The Destination France 2025 roadshow moves to Vancouver and Calgary, where Atout France and its partners will continue engaging with the Western Canadian travel industry.
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