France

52 million euros: this is the record amount of investment planned by the Puy du Fou for 2020. This financial windfall is aimed in particular at attracting corporate customers, by equipping itself with new ad hoc infrastructures. For example, a convention centre will be built on the Vendée site. Called the Théâtre Molière,...

Saint-Malo is determined to make a name for itself on the French MICE scene, with the aim of attracting no fewer than 100,000 participants by the end of next year. With this in mind, the Palais des Congrès is undergoing an ambitious renovation programme. Completely revamped and enlarged, 'Le Grand Large' now boasts a new Rotonde...

Overlooking the beach in Biarritz with its elegant Second Empire silhouette, the Hôtel du Palais shone in the spotlight for three days at the end of August, providing accommodation for the heads of state during the G7 summit. "Everything went perfectly. We were very honoured to host this summit of world leaders. It was a...

There's no need to travel to the other side of the world to organise an incentive or seminar by the sea. The French coastline, lulled by the waves of the North Sea and the English Channel, the Atlantic and the Mediterranean, boasts an incredible variety of landscapes: towering cliffs, rocky coasts, immense sandy beaches...

At a time when 'the shame of flying' is becoming a fashionable phenomenon, and when some people are advocating banning certain domestic flights, easyJet has just launched its first Franco-French service from Montpellier. Since 29 July, the airline has been offering four flights a week to and from Paris-CDG, operating every Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday....

Wojo, the ambitious coworking brand supported by Bouygues and the Accor group, is setting out to conquer two new destinations. After introducing its Corner concept at the Mercure Paris Montmartre Sacré-Cœur hotel in November, it is now at another of the hotel group's brands - and in a different part of the world - that Wojo...

How do you view the recently announced ecotax? Paul Chiambaretto - There are several problematic aspects to this eco-tax. Starting with the amount, which seems fairly arbitrary and, above all, does not depend on the type of aircraft. It doesn't matter whether you're landing a highly polluting 25-year-old aircraft or a brand new one...

The decision was taken on Tuesday by French Transport Minister Elisabeth Borne: an "ecotax" is to make its appearance, and is expected to raise around 180 million euros ($202 million) from 2020. The revenue would be used to fund daily transport in France, in particular the local rail network. The ecotax will be applied in...

Will regional business travellers one day have to choose between an SNCF train or... another TGV? This is the - barely caricatured - proposal put forward earlier this week by MPs François Ruffin (LFI) and Delphine Batho (Ecologie) during discussions on the Mobility Orientation Law (LOM). The aim would be to...

Here's some good news for business travellers in Strasbourg: since Friday, they have had access to one of the world's major hubs, Istanbul Airport. Turkish Airlines began operations at Strasbourg airport on 31 May. The Star Alliance airline - which is gaining momentum at the Alsatian airport - will now be offering four...

Casil Europe took a 49.99% stake in ATB in 2015, paving the way for a major programme to expand the airport's facilities and develop its network. The French government's refusal to allow Casil Europe to increase its stake in the airport precipitated the group's departure under Chinese management....

An increasingly diversified portfolio of brands: Best Western is putting this new commitment into practice in a number of ways. Firstly, in the budget segment, the group of independent hotels has launched the Sure Hotel by Best Western brand licence. The hotelier has also strengthened its lifestyle offering with its new Sadie brands in the top end of the market...

An all-time record for French airports. That's according to the French Civil Aviation Authority (DGAC), which reports an unprecedented 172.5 million passengers, representing growth of 5.2% in 2018 - and even more than 5.3% if only mainland airports are taken into account. A lot of...

And yet the French hotel industry is still going strong. In a turbulent social climate, it even broke records in 2018. Strikes at SNCF and Air France in the spring, the yellow waistcoat movement at the end of the year: all these factors did not prevent the industry from posting clear growth in revenue per room (+6.4 1TP3Q) according to the...

With more than 172 million passengers using its airports in 2018, France is one of the five largest air transport countries in Europe, along with the UK, Spain, Germany and Italy. And yet, if you take a closer look at the figures for air transport in France, you will see that the country is an exception in Europe for its extreme centralisation...

Just a 7-minute walk from the Capitole, the new Mama Shelter will be opening in Toulouse city centre. The AccorHotels Group establishment will have 120 rooms to welcome travellers from 31 October. The rooms will be fitted out with king-size beds, and will have high-speed Wi-Fi access, which is essential for...

Expansion Toulouse in growth mode The champagne was certainly popped at Toulouse Blagnac. In 2017, the airport recorded one million extra passengers in a single year, a leap of 14.5 %. An all-time record in France. With more than 9.2 million passengers, Toulouse overtook Marseille in the rankings...

With 30 events expected in 2018, 80 in the pipeline for 2019 and two signed for 2020, Metz's new convention centre is already a busy place as it opens its doors on 7 September. Designed by the Wilmotte & Associés agency, Metz Congrès Robert Schuman offers, within its...

For more information Club Business du CRT Occitanie A network of 127 MICE professionals in the Occitanie region to help business meeting organisers. Internet: www.tourisme-occitanie.com/club-business Nîmes Office du tourisme 6, bd des Arènes. 30 000 Nîmes Tel: 04 66 58 38 00 Email: info@ot-nimes.fr Internet: www.nimes-tourisme.com Bureau des Congrès 6,...

[highlight]In this issue: Nîmes, mine de rien Sète, between high art and art de vivre Collioure: Montmartre with a Catalan accent[/highlight] On 2 June, Nîmes inaugurated with great fanfare its brand new Musée de la Romanité, an avant-garde building designed by Elizabeth de Portzamparc. The aim was to magnify the Gallo-Roman collections -...