Following its launch in Vancouver, Atout France and Air France’s Destination France 2026 annual tour rolled into Toronto Tuesday with over 30 French and local exhibitors in attendance. The event featured a trade show that generated over 386 face-to-face meetings with travel advisors designed to strengthen connections and deepen knowledge of France’s tourism leading to new or renewed itineraries and travel products for Canadian travellers.
Among those in attendance were:
Côte d’Azur France, Occitanie AD’OCC, Hautes-Pyrénées, Normandie Tourisme, Comité du tourisme Martiniquais, Guadeloupe Islands, Reunion Island, Saint Martin, Honfleur, inDeauville, Dijon, Antibes-Juan-Les-Pins, Toulouse Haute Garonne, Montpellier, Carcassonne, Perpignan, Avignon, Marseille, Get to France, Touren Service France, Sodexo Live!, Mélia Hotels International, Fabulous Hotel, Paris Marriott Champs Elysées, Croisieurope, Air Canada, Air Canada Vacations, Air Transat, FrenchBee.
France update
Melanie Paul-Hus, Atout France Canada Director, shared with the industry the latest figures from France’s 2025 report.:
- 102 million international visitors to France in 2025 – 2 million more than in 2024
- These visitors spent €77.5 billion, up 9% in one year.
Paul-Hus said the goal is to reach €100 billion in tourism revenue by 2030 by strengthening and diversifying the sector. The strategy focuses on regional tourism – heritage, memorial, wine, and agritourism.
She also noted that France will host the 2030 Winter Olympics, which will serve as a long-term regional and social project that will boost tourism across the Alps as well as simply being a high-profile sporting event.
Competitions will take place in February and March 2030 across the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes and Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur regions, building on the momentum of the 2024 Summer Olympics legacy.
“We look forward to welcoming you to France, the French Caribbean, and overseas territories, and to offering you unique experiences, including the 2030 Winter Games and sustainable travel tailored to the needs and desires of Canadians,” the director concluded.
Air Canada
Event sponsor Air Canada highlighted its direct connections from Montreal to Paris, Lyon, Nantes, Toulouse, Nice, Fort-de-France and Pointe-à-Pitre. And thanks to a partnership with SNCF and AccessRail, new air-rail connections facilitate travel within France.
Recognition and prizes
During the awards ceremony, Atout France recognized an innovative approach to a tour or stay, in France marketed in Canada, promoting a more sustainable way of travelling. The winning company of the Destination France 2026 award was chosen by advisors through an online vote.
- Winner: Kensington Tours for its: 10 day-cruise of Northern France Gems: Castles and Coastlines, visiting; Paris, Cheverny, Dinard, Honfleur. This immersive journey through northern France invites travellers to engage deeply with the country’s heritage while supporting regional communities along the way. tour and painting workshop led by a local artist.
Award sponsor Air Transat offered a round-trip economy class ticket for one passenger to the winner.
Meanwhile, to mark participation in the France Connaisseur online training program, two travel consultants were rewarded for his commitment to learning: Cristabel Sundram, Huntington Travel, and Brigitte Krasner, Zebrano Travel.
Several door prizes were also won by travel agents, including a stay in Occitanie in 4-star hotels, Air Canada ticket to France, a CroisiEurope River Cruise, and hotels stays.
The Atout France roadshow continued on to Montreal and Halifax to meet up with tourism professionals from Eastern Canada.
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