France

Business travellers who plan to travel by train on Wednesday, June 10th should expect significant disruptions on the railways. The four main railway unions have indeed filed a notice of national strike, feeling that their concerns are not being heard by the railway company's management after several weeks of discussion. Sud-Rail,...

A manifestation of the affordable hybrid hospitality sector that is increasingly seen in major cities, JO&JOE is set to expand its offering in France. Launched in 2016 by Accor, this brand, which straddles the line between a next-generation youth hostel and classic hotel, will benefit from a partnership established between Aken Ecosystèmes and the group…

With the surge in oil prices, the current climate is probably less conducive to organising a MICE event at the other end of the world, or even in certain parts of Europe. Why not, then, favour France, and in particular its secondary cities? This presents an opportunity for Montbéliard to position itself in the event travel segment…

After several years at Adagio, and previously at Corsair, you took over Odalys City last October. What are your priorities? Stéphane Bartaire - We have five main ambitions. The first is to clearly state who we are and to clarify Odalys City's positioning as an urban aparthotel brand. The second...

Younger and with a higher grade: the Hyatt group is preparing a gentle palace revolution in Nice. Its luxury brand The Unbound Collection, launched ten years ago, will soon preside over the destinies of a legendary address on the Promenade des Anglais: the Palais de la Méditerranée. Closed since…

While rumours a few weeks ago suggested that Transdev might win the contract, it was ultimately the SNCF that was chosen on 20 April by the elected officials of the Nouvelle-Aquitaine Region to operate the Poitou-Charentes sector lines until 2037. The call for tenders foreseen as part of the opening to competition…

What message have you brought to Paris with you? What would you like participants to take away from the Var in terms of business tourism? Guillaume Decard - We are offering an additional service, business tourism, in addition to what we can propose in the Var: agrotourism, outdoor activities, tourism of...

Many upgrades are planned this year on the TGV Lyria lines between France and Switzerland, which will have repercussions on services and journey times for the TGV operated by the partnership between SNCF and CFF, the Swiss Federal Railways. Starting with the Paris-Lausanne connections in…

A transition to automatic writing. In three years, since its launch in January 2023, Accor's Handwritten Collection has reached around forty operational hotels and even more in development, with 45 establishments expected in France and internationally. Among the latter is a second address in Bucharest, the Tacadra hotel, but…

In Nantes, the MICE sector is undergoing a metamorphosis. The Cité des Congrès has embarked on a renovation plan, with two watchwords: performance and sustainability. Among the main innovations for event organisers to look forward to are a completely renovated Grand Auditorium, as well as a new opening onto a garden, allowing for the extension of events outdoors. The performances…

Air Canada is celebrating the 75th anniversary of its France-Canada operations, marking over seven decades of continuous connection between Paris and Montreal – a historic route that remains one of the airline's transatlantic network pillars today. Air Canada first launched its services to France on 1st April…

"Merde à Vauban". Accor will probably not adopt Léo Ferré's irreverence. Because it is a delightful prison that the French group is preparing for the first address in France of its luxury brand Emblems Collection. In one of these fortifications designed by Louis XIV's chief engineer for...

TGV Lyria, the Franco-Swiss railway company, has partnered with International Workplace Group (IWG) to offer a coworking service through a selection of spaces from its brands Regus, Spaces and Signature, located close to the French and Swiss stations it serves. Business travellers will benefit from advantages on the day of their journey with TGV Lyria.…

From 2 to 100. The Radisson group is stepping up its efforts to make hotels carbon-free by rolling out its Verified Net Zero (VNZ) hotel programme. To date, the Radisson Manchester City Centre and the Radisson RED Oslo City Centre have served as tests of this policy, highlighting their environmental commitment through 100 % renewable energy, zero...

SNCF Voyageurs has just renewed its partnership agreement with CFF, the Swiss railways, until 2032, to develop rail links between Switzerland, France and neighbouring European countries. The honeymoon between the two carriers has been going on for 45 years, particularly within TGV Lyria, which has...

The Union des Aéroports Français (UAF) has drawn a bitter conclusion from the 2025 results for French airports. France's air transport industry is in a bad way. And the outlook is hardly encouraging, particularly in view of the rise in oil prices. By 2025, French airport traffic had barely reached 210.5 million passengers...

The milestone of 150,000 rooms in Europe has been passed, with a total of over 1,200 hotels open or under development in some forty countries: the IHG group, already among the main players in the hotel industry on the continent with Accor and Louvre Hotels, has further expanded its footprint. Over the course of...

The Yotel group, but also many other establishments. With around a hundred contemporary hotels currently under development, the Hilton group intends to double the size of its lifestyle offering across the Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA) region. While its portfolio has already doubled over the last three years to reach...

Transavia's expansion at Orly, Air France's low-cost subsidiary, is pushing easyJet to adopt more aggressive marketing tactics to preserve its market share on domestic routes. The orange airline has thus announced an exclusive offer to Flying Blue members, offering them a 50%% discount on any new subscription to…

You recently communicated on a trend: historical sites being redeveloped to host corporate events. Is this really new? Laurent Gabard - No, not really. Personally, I used to work for an operator who, in Lyon with the Hôtel-Dieu, or in Marseille, would seek out iconic heritage sites to turn them into hotels, completely...