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Paris, France— Seychelles is once again showcasing its tourism offering at IFTM Top Resa, one of the major meeting points for the French and international travel trade, as the destination continues efforts to consolidate its position in France and strengthen relationships with partners selling the islands across Europe.
Taking place from September 15 to 17 at Paris Porte de Versailles, the 2026 edition of IFTM Top Resa brings together destinations, airlines, hotel groups, tour operators, travel agencies, cruise companies, destination management companies, technology providers and other tourism businesses from around the world.
The show describes itself as France’s only B2B tourism trade show covering the breadth of leisure, business, MICE, group and digital travel. The event traces its origins to 1979, when Top Resa was launched in Deauville with a focus on leisure tourism, before moving to Paris in 2008 and developing into a multi-segment industry event.
Figures published by the organisers underline its importance to destinations such as Seychelles seeking greater visibility in the French market. The 2025 edition welcomed 32,022 tourism professionals and featured more than 1,650 brands, over 450 stands and 177 destinations across 28,500 square metres of exhibition space. More than 16,700 business meetings were recorded during the show.
A meeting point for the travel industry
IFTM Top Resa’s significance lies not only in its size but also in the range of companies and decision-makers gathered under one roof.
Exhibitors span virtually every part of the tourism value chain, including national and regional tourism boards, travel agency networks, tour operators and destination management companies, airlines and other transport providers, hotels and holiday accommodation, cruise companies, group travel specialists, MICE operators, technology companies, tourism service providers, associations and industry organisations.
The exhibition also features dedicated areas bringing particular segments of the industry together. These include Destination France and the Tour Operators Village, alongside specialist areas covering sectors such as technology, business travel and group tourism. More than 60 French tour operators are represented at the show, according to IFTM.
For destinations, the value of the event is particularly linked to the profile of those attending. Visitors include travel agency professionals and networks, tour operator purchasing and production decision-makers, corporate travel managers, MICE and events buyers, transport professionals, tourism institutions, technology specialists and media. Travel agency professionals account for 45% of visitors, while more than 800 journalists are accredited to the event. The show also attracts ministers, ambassadors and other tourism officials.
This concentration of buyers, sellers and decision-makers gives destinations such as Seychelles an opportunity to move beyond destination promotion and hold direct commercial discussions with the companies responsible for putting holidays on sale, advising travellers and shaping travel programmes.
Seychelles targets stronger French market engagement
Against this backdrop, the Seychelles delegation is using its participation to showcase the diversity of the islands’ tourism product while engaging directly with established and prospective partners in the French and wider European travel trade.
The delegation is being led by Mrs. Bernadette Willemin, Special Advisor for Tourism to the Minister of Tourism and Culture, accompanied by representatives from the Seychelles Tourism Board (STB) office in Paris, led by Market Manager Judeline Edmond.
There is also strong participation from Seychelles’ tourism private sector, with 7 South, Creole Travel Services, Mason’s Travel, Air Seychelles, Blue Safari, Hilton Seychelles, Meliá Seychelles, Raffles Seychelles and Savoy Seychelles Resort & Sparepresented at the show.
Together, the delegation provides trade partners with access to a cross-section of the Seychelles tourism industry, from destination management and ground handling to air connectivity, accommodation and island experiences.
Speaking from Paris, Mrs. Willemin said IFTM Top Resa remains an important platform for maintaining direct contact with the people selling Seychelles in the French market.
“France is a market we know well and have worked in for many years. We are coming to Top Resa to sit down with the partners who sell Seychelles every day, hear what their clients are asking for, and make sure they have what they need to sell the destination with confidence,” she said.
Maintaining a key European market
France remains one of Seychelles’ core European tourism markets, supported by longstanding historical and cultural ties and an established network of tour operators, travel agents and other tourism partners familiar with the destination.
French travellers are an important audience for Seychelles’ varied tourism offering, which extends beyond the traditional beach holiday to include nature and biodiversity, island-hopping, Creole culture and gastronomy, wellness, luxury stays, sailing, diving and other experiential holidays.
The presence of Seychelles tourism businesses at Top Resa therefore provides an opportunity for the trade to discuss individual products as well as the broader positioning of the destination.
For hotels and resorts, meetings can focus on contracting, product updates and accommodation offers; destination management companies can discuss itineraries, excursions and ground services; while other partners can present experiences and services that allow travel agents and tour operators to build more varied Seychelles programmes.
STB Chief Executive Vesna Rakic said maintaining visibility in France remains an important part of Seychelles’ approach to its traditional European markets.
“France remains a core market for Seychelles, and we are committed to maintaining and further strengthening our presence there. Continued engagement with our partners is particularly important as we work to build resilience and sustain visitor flows to the destination,” she said.
Business at the heart of Top Resa
While IFTM Top Resa provides destinations with international visibility, business-to-business meetings remain central to the event.
The show’s networking programme is designed to connect exhibitors with travel agents, tour operators, corporate buyers and other decision-makers. Organisers say the event includes dedicated programmes for buyers, including more than 350 corporate buyers from across France and international buyers working with the French market. Major French distribution networks and travel management companies are also represented.
For Seychelles, those meetings offer an opportunity to obtain immediate feedback from the market: what French clients are requesting, which types of holidays are performing well, where sales challenges are emerging and what information or support agents need to convert interest in the islands into bookings.
The exchanges are particularly relevant as the international tourism industry continues to respond to evolving booking patterns, economic pressures and disruptions affecting international travel.
Rather than relying solely on consumer-facing promotion, Seychelles’ participation at IFTM Top Resa puts the destination directly in front of the professionals who package, distribute, recommend and sell holidays.
Over the three days in Paris, the Seychelles delegation will conduct a programme of trade meetings, networking and partner discussions aimed at strengthening existing relationships, developing new business opportunities and keeping the i
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