This year, the Rendez-vous en France trade fair was organized in Nice on March 31 and 1is april. For his 20e edition, the largest BtoB event dedicated to tourism brought together nearly 2000 professionals.
Nice and the South Region welcomed March 31 and 1is April 2026 the 20e edition of the Rendez-vous en France exhibition, the main BtoB exhibition for marketing the French tourist offer internationally. Organized by Atout France, the event brought together 1,850 professionals, including 814 international prescribers from 52 countries and 704 French exhibitors.
On the program, 28,465 pre-scheduled business meetings. In short: two days to sell the France destination, structure partnerships and bring out new offers in an increasingly competitive international environment.
In Nice, the Southern Region defended another idea of tourism
The choice of Nice and Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur as a host country was not insignificant. The Riviera capital in fact embodies “ four-season tourism and international influence » in line with the ambition of the show, according to its organizers.
But more broadly, during these two days of exchanges and meetings, the Southern Region defended a vision of sustainable tourism based on the identity of territories and their capacity to differentiate themselves.
Franéois de Canson, president of the CRT Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur, stressed the need for « make your stay not a consumption, but an experience. Make the tourist not a spectator, but an ally “, also specifying that even if France is the first world destination, ” it should not just be the most visited. She must be the most respected.”
Seasonalization, quality, sustainability: a model to impose
Because beyond the business stakes of this event, the Niçoise edition also served as a demonstrator for a tourism model that the Southern Region seeks to impose: tourism better distributed over time, more qualitative, more sustainable and more experiential.
The show itself gave a concrete translation, with 60 educational tours organized throughout France to allow 450 prescribers to discover the offer on the ground, as well as highlighting the approaches to inclusion, responsibility and innovation.
François de Canson insisted on this change at work in Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur: “ We are changing our model HAS”. He recalled that in ten years summer attendance has remained stable, while it increases by 10% in spring and autumn and by 13% in winter. A development which illustrates the seasonal adjustment strategy driven by the region.
