Heading into summer 2026, travel advisors in the United States are no doubt planning trips and tours for clients all throughout France.
France is one of the most popular destinations for U.S. travelers. More than 5 million Americans visited the country in 2025, a 17 percent year-over-year increase, according to Reuters.
For U.S. travel advisors and tour operators, that means it can be crucial to maintain a deep understanding of France and a broad network of contacts across the country.
For advisors and other professionals looking to bolster their expertise on France and connect with key businesses in the nation’s tourism sector, there’s no better chance than at the annual Rendez-Vous en France trade show, which connects travel opinion makers with hundreds of tourism exhibitors based all over the nation.
It’s one of the biggest and most important annual industry events in Europe, and every year, Rendez-Vous en France is held in a different French city. In 2026, the travel market celebrated its momentous 20th anniversary edition with a successful two-day convention in Nice on March 31 and April 1.
At the 2026 event, a whopping 704 French exhibitors participated. This included key industry stakeholders in a range of areas, including companies in charge of tourist sites like museums, monuments, chateaux, and theme parks; transport companies, including coach operators, river transportation, and vehicle rentals; promotional bodies, like tourist offices and other public-sector representatives; as well as hotel and accommodation companies, and many others.
Exhibitors from every region across France participate. In 2026, the largest representation was from the country’s southern region (Occitanie, Provence-Alpes, Cote d’Azur, and Corsica), comprising 38 percent of the exhibitors.
Throughout the course of the trade show, France’s tourism stakeholders met with an impressive 814 international travel opinion leaders from 52 countries.
The majority of these participants—447—were from Europe, and 91 are from France. The U.S. was also well-represented with 89 tour operators, the largest delegation from a long-distance market.
During the event, travel advisors and tour operators hold 20-minute meetings at booths on the trade show floor, which in 2026 was a nearly 120,000-square-foot space in the Palais des Expositions in the heart of Nice. More than 28,000 pre-scheduled business meetings were registered at the outset of the two-day convention.
During the meetings, advisors, tour operators, and other professionals can expect to ink in “concrete programming, contracts, and long-term partnerships,” according to Atout France, which facilitates Rendez-Vous en France every year.
But networking at the trade show itself isn’t the only opportunity available. More than 60 familiarization trips occur before the two-day convention, giving 450 opinion leaders first-hand experience across multiple French regions.
The fam journeys are another invaluable opportunity for industry professionals to make important on-the-ground contacts throughout France, as well as participate in hotel inspections, vet tour providers, and work through logistics of sight-seeing itineraries.
The majority of the fam trips are usually offered in the host region, however, there are journeys available all over France and across a wide array of themes, such as gastronomy, wine tourism, art and culture, history, slow travel, luxury, MICE, and more.
About 60 percent of the tour operators who attend choose to participate in a fam trip before the trade show, according to Atout France. Participants are given a selection of journeys and are asked to rank their top choices based on their business interests and what might best serve their clients.
Although the 2026 iteration of the travel market just wrapped up, planning for next year’s event is already well underway. In 2027, Rendez-Vous en France will take place in Bordeaux from March 23-24.
Travel advisors and tour operators must be invited by Atout France to attend the trade show. But industry professionals can register their interest via a form on the Rendez-Vous en France site in order to be considered for an invite.
For the latest travel news, updates and deals, subscribe to the daily TravelPulse newsletter.
Topics From This Article to Explore
