Rendezvous en France saw 1500 attendees gather last week in Nantes, in the Pays de la Loire region, where more than 600 French companies were on hand to present the best products France has to offer to eager international tour operators.
The Atout France tourism show is a two-day event that gives operators, buyers and agents a chance to connect via pre-arranged meetings set in a round robin style. There is a FAM trip to various regions in France held before the conference, giving attendees a chance to explore and experience the country themselves. This year, 60% of attendees attended the pre-conference FAM.
Canada is the biggest long-haul international market for France, and many Canadians are in love with the country so much they are repeat visitors. Melanie Paul-Hus, Director, Atout France, Canada says what's good for the Canadian market is the connectivity to cities outside Paris, which make it easy to visit other regions and fly home via various gateways. France has one of the greatest transportation systems in Europe.
"It's that flexibility that you have in France to land anywhere you want and then travel via train anywhere you want, especially from May to October, where it's high season for flights."
Canadian agents and operators must be qualified via Atout France's Canadian office to attend, but it's a process that Paul-Hus says is an easy one.
"It is very, very simple for Canadian agencies and draw operators to participate, I would recommend coming at least every two years, maybe not every year if the agency is smaller, but it's really good to get to know the suppliers and refresh the address book.
It's the widest selection of suppliers and representatives that you can ever get for France so it's really a must."
The conference is held every other year in Paris, with the rotating year in a different region. This year's conference was in Nantes, which is in the Atlantic portion of the Loire Valley, and our pre-conference FAM trip took place in Le Mans, Angers. Next year's conference returns to Paris.
Reesa Avelino, Product Manager at Goway Travel said attending was a fantastic experience.
"It's my 5th time attending RDV and I'm continually impressed with the level of organization, vendors, food and programmed events", says Avelino. "The itinerary was intense, but I was able to experience a diverse range of products and services that France has to offer. After a two-year pause´, I am grateful to participate in an event where I am constantly learning something new. Most importantly, I made great connections that will definitely assist me to expand my product line in France."
Liz Dachuk, Business Development Manager at Connaissance Travel and Tours agrees.
"It's such a great opportunity to reconnect with our partners in France and to make new connections especially now when the Covid restrictions for international travel have been lifted and we can once again offer this awesome destination to our clients."
Paul-Hus says invitations to Rendezvous en France usually go out in December/January to regular attendees but is encouraging Canadian tour operators, suppliers and agents to reach out if they would like to attend.
"It's a great opportunity to discover or rediscover a region and make sure agents are always up to date. Every year, you can do a new itinerary and a FAM trip to help make you a France connoisseur. I strongly recommend the full package, so you get the FAM trip as well to make it really worthwhile."
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