The World Tourism Fair in Paris, which will close this Sunday, March 16, is an opportunity to discover the 2025 trends. Among the requests, slower and less polluting transport. If the plane remains the cheapest way to discover distant countries, Africa and Europe work to develop train trip.
A sign does not deceive: among the new destinations of the famous French guides of the SmalchmanAfrican countries are honored. Destination Gabon, Algeria, Chad and Zimbabwe.
Telephony and tourism
Louis Auzias, director of guides at Smalchmannotes that countries that succeed in developing tourism facilitate the development of payments and reservations on mobile phones: ” It is really a big change in the way of traveling and using transport. The traveler, thanks to the reservations and payments platforms, has everything on his phone. He leaves the station or the airport, he can order a taxi. In Africaas everywhere else, it is a great simplification of the trip. »»
Tourism is a great engine of economic benefits. But it depends on the political will to enhance each country, its culture, its development.
The raising plane and cruise
This year again, the World Tourism Fair shows the paradox of tourism transport. Less polluting or continuing to discover the world? The user is caught. One of the big changes over the past two years is staying time. Travelers go further and stay on site longer.
Reality contradicts polls
The discovery is part of the desire for humanity. This year, the trend is found on all continents. For distant destinations, the plane is still at the top of the transport requested in 2025. Globally, giant liner cruises (from 3 to 7,000 passengers) are part of the claims favored by a clientele attracted by prices lowered by cruise lines.
To listen in so far, so closeDevour the world
Transport cohabitation
However, limited capacity cruises are also part of the trends and are in great demand for niche destinations (Nordic fjords, ice floe …) if it was necessary to summarize the tourist market, it could be said that today cohabit all tastes and all holders, with the plane, the train and even the van low cost famous vanlifethe roaming in equipped van. “” It is true that says like that, the vanlife may seem a marginal phenomenon. However, we can still see this year that there is demand on this mode of transport, explains Christel Marzullo, at the head of this 2025 edition of the World Tourism Fair. This responds to a desire for travelers to move more slowly and pollute less than in plane. »»
The other substantive trend is the success of trains, especially in Europe. The night lines are very practical and comfortable, particularly in northern Europe, but projects are under discussion to revitalize the lines throughout the territory.
The ecological but expensive train
If the train holidays develop, they are sometimes expensive, especially on family trip. In Francethe train remains on average more expensive than the plane. The choice of having favored TGV (high -speed trains) with more expensive tickets than those of less profitable lines prevented the development of certain regional trains and night trains.
European rail delay
In the aisles of the living room, we hear a lot about this need for night trains. When is this famous network of direct lines between all the capitals in Europe? In 2023, the European Commission asked for a report and encouraged work to adapt and harmonize all types of countries in the countries. The difference in railway sizes today requires stops and trains changes. But for two years, the pilot projects selected with the rail industry are lacking money, they have not been able to materialize.
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