France

Updated 2 June at 4:30 PM Thirty-three. The number is symbolic for the new selection of French hotel stars, which has just been announced. The Palace commission, convened by Atout France at the end of 2025, heard several establishments applying for the renewal of their distinction, which is valid for three years and no longer five…

At the heart of the legendary 24 Hours of Le Mans circuit, the Porsche Experience Center Le Mans redefines company seminar codes. Here, meetings take on another dimension. Far from ordinary rooms, teams operate in a premium environment where the emotions of motorsport combine with professional efficiency. Between high-end infrastructure...

Improving the quality of service and reducing environmental impact: these are the two development pillars that guided the design of the new terminal inaugurated on May 26th at Annecy Haute-Savoie Mont-Blanc airport. The project required 18 months of work and an investment of 2.5 million euros. It forms part of a...

Commercial passenger air travel in France saw a slight decline in April, according to the DGAC. The number of air passengers fell by 3.2 per cent compared with the same period in 2025. This decline is partly due to runway works underway at Basel-Mulhouse Airport, which…

It is likely a unique status in air transport: that of exemplary cooperation in the management of a bi-national airport by two supervisory authorities, one French and the other Swiss. The Basel-Mulhouse airport has indeed been an official bi-national company since May 1946, which, despite the disagreements that sometimes arise between the Swiss and French authorities,...

Minor Hotels already has a strong presence in the Benelux, but is still underrepresented in France or Switzerland. What are the challenges associated with this dual approach? Alexis Boudrand - I have a two-speed remit. As you point out, Minor Hotels inherited a large number of hotels in the Benelux from…

Will there be enough kerosene this summer? That's the question many households are asking themselves when booking their holidays, as are all business travellers who need to travel before the summer break. Passengers may well be put off by the flight cancellations announced by several airlines. "A subject that..."

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.…