Mr. Chandernagore " The World Tourism Fair is a general fair, with an expertise core. It is important for us to show several ways to travel to our visitors" - DR . Comexposium
TourMaG.com - What is in store for the 39th edition of the World Tourism Fair?
Marianne Chandernagore: "We expect between 7 and 8 % more exhibitors this year, and about 500 participants against 464 in 2013.
There is an almost equal distribution in number of exhibitors from France and abroad, but international representatives will occupy more space.
For this new edition, the show is more internationally oriented, with a stronger institutional presence than from the commercial sector.
As for visitors, it is very difficult to estimate the number on a public event because there is no pre-registration.
Approximately 3,000 professionals should make the trip, and 1 500-2 000 students, we hope to reach 100 000 visitors."
TourMaG.com - Who will be the new faces in 2014?
Marianne Chandernagore: "We can mention the arrival of the Selectour Afat Cooperative in the travel agents space.
Several tourist offices will be back this year, including Egypt, but also the island of Reunion, Lithuania and Dubai.
Spain, meanwhile, will occupy a larger space .
As for France, Saône-et-Loire is participating for the first time, with a very large booth to present its new brand "Creative LABourgogne."
Brittany, with Morbihan in particular, will also comeback."
TourMaG.com - Will thematic spaces have an important presence?
Marianne Chandernagore: "This is our position: being a general fair, with a center of expertise.
It is important for us to bring several ways to travel to our visitors, who, for the most part, have taken one trip in the year.
Therefore, they can come to book their holidays and maybe find a short-stay idea, a unique accommodation, etc...
It is for this reason that I welcome the creation of the Technologies and Tourism space this year, which will include 10 travel start-ups including those "incubated" by the Welcome City Lab, launched last year at our fair.
I think a show should be a laboratory of innovation and a trigger of first visits."
TourMaG.com - A new "Croisières" center will also be premiered…
Marianne Chandernagore: "Indeed, this is a first. 21 companies will be present on an area of 250 m2, accompanied by the Cruise Club of Marseille Provence, who took charge of the organization, as it did for Mahana Marseille and as it has done for the past two years for Mahana Lyon.
Visitors will find Azamara Cruises, Celebrity Cruises, International Company of Cruises, Costa Cruises, Cruises of France, Cunard Line, Disney Cruise Line, Grand Nord Grand Large, Holland America Line, Hurtigruten, MSC Cruises, Norwegian Cruise Line, P&O Cruises, Regent Seven Seas Cruises, Royal Caribbean International, Seabourn Cruises, SeaDream Yacht Club, Silversea, Star Clippers Cruises and One Ocean."
TourMaG.com - Are any other themed-based centers going to expand?
Marianne Chandernagore: "The one dedicated to "Memorial Tourism" will grow with the arrival of Normands partners, for the occasion of the 70th anniversary of D-day.
The space "Wheels of Adventure" will be devoted partly to exceptional travel around the world in vehicles, and at the same, to cycling tourism, with the participation, for the first time, of the French Cycle Tourism Federation.
Visitors will also be able to share the experience of our blog-trotters in a dedicated space."
TourMaG.com - Regional Fairs (like Mahana) have just ended. How was the attendance rate?
Marianne Chandernagore: "Tourissima Lille was the best edition since the acquisition of the fair 5 years ago, with an increase in attendance of 13% and 22 500 visitors .
Growth was particularly strong in family attendance (+25%), thanks to the introduction of targeted animated programs, and a lot of work on transport and communication operations which are effective on social networks .
For Mahana Lyon, attendance grew by 4%, with 28,000 visitors. Its specificity was its Cruises space, renewed for the second year.
It is also a show that includes about 50% of travel agencies and tour operators and many visitors come to book their holidays.
Moreover, this year, many companies expanded their space or participated for the first time. This is the case for the Selectour Afat Network.
In Toulouse, however, the show was penalized by a Sunday PSG-Toulouse football match, with whom we shared the same parking space that was blocked all morning for security reasons.
However, we focused on our "Unusual Space" and the show was coupled, for the second time, with the "Seniors" one.
We remain very excited for next year's show."b[
Marianne Chandernagore: "We expect between 7 and 8 % more exhibitors this year, and about 500 participants against 464 in 2013.
There is an almost equal distribution in number of exhibitors from France and abroad, but international representatives will occupy more space.
For this new edition, the show is more internationally oriented, with a stronger institutional presence than from the commercial sector.
As for visitors, it is very difficult to estimate the number on a public event because there is no pre-registration.
Approximately 3,000 professionals should make the trip, and 1 500-2 000 students, we hope to reach 100 000 visitors."
TourMaG.com - Who will be the new faces in 2014?
Marianne Chandernagore: "We can mention the arrival of the Selectour Afat Cooperative in the travel agents space.
Several tourist offices will be back this year, including Egypt, but also the island of Reunion, Lithuania and Dubai.
Spain, meanwhile, will occupy a larger space .
As for France, Saône-et-Loire is participating for the first time, with a very large booth to present its new brand "Creative LABourgogne."
Brittany, with Morbihan in particular, will also comeback."
TourMaG.com - Will thematic spaces have an important presence?
Marianne Chandernagore: "This is our position: being a general fair, with a center of expertise.
It is important for us to bring several ways to travel to our visitors, who, for the most part, have taken one trip in the year.
Therefore, they can come to book their holidays and maybe find a short-stay idea, a unique accommodation, etc...
It is for this reason that I welcome the creation of the Technologies and Tourism space this year, which will include 10 travel start-ups including those "incubated" by the Welcome City Lab, launched last year at our fair.
I think a show should be a laboratory of innovation and a trigger of first visits."
TourMaG.com - A new "Croisières" center will also be premiered…
Marianne Chandernagore: "Indeed, this is a first. 21 companies will be present on an area of 250 m2, accompanied by the Cruise Club of Marseille Provence, who took charge of the organization, as it did for Mahana Marseille and as it has done for the past two years for Mahana Lyon.
Visitors will find Azamara Cruises, Celebrity Cruises, International Company of Cruises, Costa Cruises, Cruises of France, Cunard Line, Disney Cruise Line, Grand Nord Grand Large, Holland America Line, Hurtigruten, MSC Cruises, Norwegian Cruise Line, P&O Cruises, Regent Seven Seas Cruises, Royal Caribbean International, Seabourn Cruises, SeaDream Yacht Club, Silversea, Star Clippers Cruises and One Ocean."
TourMaG.com - Are any other themed-based centers going to expand?
Marianne Chandernagore: "The one dedicated to "Memorial Tourism" will grow with the arrival of Normands partners, for the occasion of the 70th anniversary of D-day.
The space "Wheels of Adventure" will be devoted partly to exceptional travel around the world in vehicles, and at the same, to cycling tourism, with the participation, for the first time, of the French Cycle Tourism Federation.
Visitors will also be able to share the experience of our blog-trotters in a dedicated space."
TourMaG.com - Regional Fairs (like Mahana) have just ended. How was the attendance rate?
Marianne Chandernagore: "Tourissima Lille was the best edition since the acquisition of the fair 5 years ago, with an increase in attendance of 13% and 22 500 visitors .
Growth was particularly strong in family attendance (+25%), thanks to the introduction of targeted animated programs, and a lot of work on transport and communication operations which are effective on social networks .
For Mahana Lyon, attendance grew by 4%, with 28,000 visitors. Its specificity was its Cruises space, renewed for the second year.
It is also a show that includes about 50% of travel agencies and tour operators and many visitors come to book their holidays.
Moreover, this year, many companies expanded their space or participated for the first time. This is the case for the Selectour Afat Network.
In Toulouse, however, the show was penalized by a Sunday PSG-Toulouse football match, with whom we shared the same parking space that was blocked all morning for security reasons.
However, we focused on our "Unusual Space" and the show was coupled, for the second time, with the "Seniors" one.
We remain very excited for next year's show."b[
World Tourism Fair: Where pros meet
Thursday, March 20th
- Conference on "Business Management in Tourism, Travel and Hospitality" by the Ecole Supérieure de Commerce specializing Tourism (ESCAET) .
- Reward of the "Golden Feathers Adonet" (by invitation)
- SETO Press Conference (Union of Tour Operating Companies): Assessment of the 2013-14 winter season, SETO news, and presentation of the results of SETO study on financial ratios of the tour operators in 2013 conducted in cooperation with KPMG.
- Presentation of the 2013 Annual Mediator Report by Jean-Pierre Teyssier, and new members of the Mediation Tourism and Travel (MTV) Association
- Presentation of the Journalists Association of Tourism (AJT) Yearbook in Forum space (by invitation)
- Large "Flash Mob" mobilization in the fight against the child sex tourism linked to the upcoming FIFA World Cup 2014 in Brazil. Organized by the FFTST and ECPAT.
Friday, March 21st
- Conference on "Business Management in Tourism, Travel and Hospitality" by the Ecole Supérieure de Commerce specializing Tourism (ESCAET).
- Grand opening debate within the Bed and Breakfast Village: "In front of the Internet, intermediaries, and regulations, where is home stay accommodation going?" From 10 am to 11:30 am.
- Conference on "Business Management in Tourism, Travel and Hospitality" by the Ecole Supérieure de Commerce specializing Tourism (ESCAET) .
- Reward of the "Golden Feathers Adonet" (by invitation)
- SETO Press Conference (Union of Tour Operating Companies): Assessment of the 2013-14 winter season, SETO news, and presentation of the results of SETO study on financial ratios of the tour operators in 2013 conducted in cooperation with KPMG.
- Presentation of the 2013 Annual Mediator Report by Jean-Pierre Teyssier, and new members of the Mediation Tourism and Travel (MTV) Association
- Presentation of the Journalists Association of Tourism (AJT) Yearbook in Forum space (by invitation)
- Large "Flash Mob" mobilization in the fight against the child sex tourism linked to the upcoming FIFA World Cup 2014 in Brazil. Organized by the FFTST and ECPAT.
Friday, March 21st
- Conference on "Business Management in Tourism, Travel and Hospitality" by the Ecole Supérieure de Commerce specializing Tourism (ESCAET).
- Grand opening debate within the Bed and Breakfast Village: "In front of the Internet, intermediaries, and regulations, where is home stay accommodation going?" From 10 am to 11:30 am.
Practical Information
World Tourism Fair from March 20 to 23 2014 - www.salonmondialdutourisme.com
Parc des Expositions at Porte de Versailles, Paris Pavillon 4
Hours
- 10 am to 7pm on Thursday 20, Friday 21st, and Saturday 22nd
- 10 am to 6 pm Sunday, March 23
Rates: 12 euros per person, free for children under 12 years.
Parc des Expositions at Porte de Versailles, Paris Pavillon 4
Hours
- 10 am to 7pm on Thursday 20, Friday 21st, and Saturday 22nd
- 10 am to 6 pm Sunday, March 23
Rates: 12 euros per person, free for children under 12 years.
