A Look Back at the International & French Travel Market Top Resa Trade Show 2023, the Can’t-Miss Event for the Tourism Industry

Against a backdrop of strong recovery in the airline sector, the Air France-KLM Group was present at IFTM Top Resa for three days full of announcements, conferences and meetings with tourism professionals. 

This 44th edition of the trade show – a flagship event for the tourism industry – was an opportunity to discuss the expectations of customers and travel partners alike. Air France-KLM welcomed thousands of visitors to its stand flying the colors of our three airlines and its partner Delta Air Lines. The Group also celebrated two milestone anniversaries: 104 years of existence for KLM and 90 years for Air France. At the time, on the other side of Paris, the renowned Galeries Lafayette department store showcased a collection of Air France objects and accessories in its windows. 

Here's a look back at the highlights of the event, held in Paris from October 3 to 5. 

Announcements with an Eye on the Future 

Henri Hourcade, Executive Vice President France at Air France-KLM, set the tone in his opening speech, referencing the summer's very encouraging results and the optimistic outlook for our sector, particularly in the North American and Asian markets. 

With over 83 million passengers transported last year, Henri Hourcade shared the Group's ambition to offer an ever more high-quality customer experience and a better-connected network that provides new travel possibilities. He took the opportunity to recall the recent order for 50 Airbus A350s and to present Air France's Winter 2023-2024 program, which will serve 200 destinations worldwide. This program includes the opening of two new routes: Abu Dhabi and Raleigh Durham (North Carolina) – Air France's 14th U.S. destination. These routes come on the heels of the new Dar es Salam and Ottawa destinations opened this summer. For its part, Transavia announced the expansion of its network to the North, with two new destinations departing from Paris-Orly airport: Tallinn (Estonia) and Bergen (Norway). 

Group representatives also took the floor to share their expertise and the Group's vision on a number of topics, such as evolving customer behavior, the future of business travel, and the benefits of NDC ("New Distribution Capacity") for both buyers and travel agents. 

Towards a More Responsible Air Transport Industry 

The Group's sustainable development strategy was front and center during the trade show. Air France-KLM is committed to being a leader in decarbonizing the sector and intends to reduce its CO2 emissions by 30% per passenger/kilometer by 2030 (compared with 2019). The event was an opportunity to reiterate that the Group is accelerating its transition through three main levers: fleet modernization, the use of sustainable aviation fuel and eco-piloting. 

The sales team also took part in a round-table discussion on sustainable tourism, centered on the theme of “How can we reconcile travelers and air travel?” 

Full Speed Ahead on Air France’s Recruitment Strategy 

This year, Air France was present at the show to meet potential candidates and answer their questions. In particular, the company organized a "job-dating" event on Thursday, October 5, with the aim of recruiting a large number of ground staff for the Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games. In all, over 200 applicants attended the event, which was free of charge for students. During 2023, nearly 2,000 talented people will have joined Air France’s ranks, a momentum that will continue into 2024 and beyond.