“Keep the pace”: Post-Olympic success, tourism growth celebrated at Destination France T.O.

STORY BY KATHY BUCKWORTH

Torontonians shook off the cold and snow Tuesday night (Feb. 18) to attend this year’s Destination France Road Show at the City Centre Marriott hotel.

Hosted by Mélanie-Paul-Hus, director for Canada at Atout France, France’s tourism development agency in Canada, the Toronto event followed up a successful night in Montreal on Monday (Feb. 17) and will proceed with taking their annual road show to visit travel advisors in Vancouver and Calgary later in the week.

In Toronto, approximately 50 travel advisors took the opportunity to have one-on-one meetings with more than 20 French exhibitors. An estimated 200 business meetings took place during the busy and enthusiastic trade show.

“We love having themes every year, and we change the themes” said Paul-Hus in an interview with PAX. “This year we chose “Keep the Pace” because it’s post-Olympic games. It’s a very important moment for France because the achievement of hosting the games is real, but it was years of work and strategy, getting to host events in a more sustainable way.”

Bertrand Pous, the Consul General for France in Toronto, shared some record-breaking stats about tourism in France for 2024.

“The momentum (for French tourism) is quite remarkable. 2024 is marked by record tourism and growth in international receipts. Forecast figures for visitor numbers and revenues in 2024 are up: 100 million international visitors to France (+2 million) and €71 billion in international revenues (+12%) with a rebound at the end of the year in ski resort occupancy rates, namely.”

These numbers maintain France’s goal to be the most visited-country in the world.

“The magic of the Olympics, the Paralympics, the 80  anniversary of D-Day, and the re-opening of Notre Dame Cathedral provided an excellent showcase for tourists all around the world.” said Pous.

Paul-Hus pointed out that while everyone who wants to visit Notre Dame is able to do so, tickets must now be obtained with a particular visit time. She highly recommends joining a tour to ensure a comprehensive understanding of both the history and the restoration of the landmark cathedral.

Air France, official partner of the Destination France 2025 roadshow, is continuing to invest in Canadians traveling to France. 

They have new Business cabins available on departures from Toronto, Vancouver and some Montreal flights. Air France Premium also offers new seats with wireless charging and Bluetooth from Toronto and Vancouver. 

KLM's World Business cabins are available from Toronto, Calgary and Edmonton, and in the summer 2025, KLM will inaugurate a flight to Biarritz.

Air Canada, partner of Destination France 2025 and sponsor of the tour cocktails, highlighted its direct connections from Montreal to Paris, Lyon, Toulouse, Nice, Fort-de-France and Pointe-à-Pitre.

Yazdan Bakhtiary, manager, regional sales, Air Canada noted that as of May 2025, Air Canada will be offering free Wi-Fi access to Aeroplan members, launching to customers on North American and Sun Destination flights, with plans to add it in 2026 for their international customers as well.

Partners participating in the trade show ranged from airlines to regions to historic sites, and more. 

Spotted on the scene were Château de Versailles, Comité Régional du tourisme de l’Occitanie, Toulouse-Blagnac Airport, Nîmes Tourisme, Air France, Office de Tourisme de Perpignan, Office de Tourisme de Montpellier, Air Transat, Normandy Tourism, Juno Beach Center, Le Grand Tour, CroisiEurope, Baverez Hotels, Découvertes DMC, Office de Tourisme de Carcassonne, Office de Tourisme de Martinique, Guadeloupe Islands, Paradis Latin Cabaret , Dijon Bourgogne Tourisme et Congrès, Saint-Martin Tourisme, French Bee and Air Canada.

Alida Lio from The Travel Agent Next Door was recognized for achieving excellence in Atout France’s “France Connaisseur” online training program for the trade. Atout France also announced that new modules have been added to the platform, including one on sustainable tourism and another on wine tourism.

Air Transat, sponsor of the Destination France 2025 award, recognized travel advisors who demonstrated an approach which matched the “Keeping the pace” theme, which promotes longer stays and interaction with the local population, with sustainable tourism goals.

The two finalists were "Paris & Provence – a small group discovery by Globus Family of Brands and Springtime in Provence by Senior Discovery Tours. Paris & Provence – a small group discovery by Globus was also announced as the most vote-getting at the awards ceremony.

“I think that the Olympics crystallized what everybody loves about Paris, but it also indicated that Paris could change. Could have a new approach, could reduce the number of cars in the city, promote train travel, so it was a great stage to communicate our message and our strategy. It also reminded people that the classics are great, and you want to visit them again and again,” said Paul-Hus.

“We look forward to welcoming you to France, the French Caribbean and overseas, and to offering you unique experiences, including the 2030 Winter Games and sustainable travel tailored to the needs and desires of Canadians.”

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