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IN BRIEF
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At the heart of the exhibition center at the Porte de Versailles, the IFTM Top Résa fair gathers the main players of overseas tourism for three days to promote their destinations, seal partnerships, and adjust their strategies. La Réunion strengthens its air connectivity, Guadeloupe builds linkages regionally, Mayotte demonstrates its post-cyclone resilience, and Guyane emphasizes innovation and signature nature. Among the signing of agreements, new routes, immersion offers, and crisis management planning, these overseas territories demonstrate both offensiveness and solidarity in a context of rising visitor numbers and revenues.
In the bustling atmosphere of a B2B meeting that gathers airlines, hoteliers, and local authorities, the overseas destinations multiply encounters. The goal is to create an accurate state of affairs for the season, consolidate alliances with international tour operators, and increase the visibility of their offerings. At over 1,500 stands, the Caribbean and the Indian Ocean showcase their strengths, with a common desire: to improve access, diversify experiences, and ensure the safety of visitors.
This mobilization occurs as professionals refine their responses to market changes: the rise of experiential travel, the growth of highly scripted micro-stays, and new sustainability and risk management expectations. The atmosphere is decidedly constructive, reinforced by the idea that inter-island cooperation and network pooling are key levers.
Throughout discussions, several structural announcements punctuate the fair: co-marketing agreements, fam trips, facilitation of connections, and reconfigured experience portfolios to attract European and regional clients. The signing of new routes, the sharing of stands, and the coordinated presence of multiple operators illustrate a strategy of a “united front” from the overseas territories to gain commercial strength.
Strengthening air connectivity: the example of La Réunion
As a flagship of an opening strategy, La Réunion announces a new route between Frankfurt and the island, via Mauritius. The service, operated by the German company Condor in partnership with Air Austral, includes four weekly rotations launched since August. Beyond the German market, the island aims for better access from Belgium and the United Kingdom, while working on connections to South Africa and Asia (up to Bangkok) to broaden the flow spectrum.
This dynamic is supported by encouraging signals: more than 270,000 tourists have chosen La Réunion since the beginning of 2025, marking an increase of about 3% compared to 2024, while tourism revenues rise by 3.5%. With the presence of 26 professionals and the regional tourism committee at the fair, the destination asserts its roadmap: streamline connectivity, reassure travelers, and enhance quality offerings.
Anticipating climate hazards and integrating crisis communication
Aware of the recurrence of weather phenomena, La Réunion deploys a sectoral resilience plan. Actors align to integrate tourism into crisis communication and coordinate information with Saint-Denis Airport, to avoid passenger anxiety, optimize rerouting plans, and ensure continuity of experience even in degraded contexts. The goal is clear: for the visitor to know precisely “what to do,” and for the destination to be able to reconfigure quickly after an extreme event.
Guadeloupe and Saint-Martin: linkages to gain strength
Guadeloupe comes in strong with 19 exhibitors and, a notable addition, the Saint-Martin Tourism Office present at its stand. In the spirit of the fair, centered on linkages, the islands focus on complementarity and combined itineraries. This networking fosters a denser customer promise: multi-stop stays, facilitated logistics, and better-tailored thematic offers for European markets.
The destination also highlights immersion and off-the-beaten-path tours. Like Otoprik Guadeloupe (a young team led by local entrepreneurs), alternative accommodations and human-scale experiences appeal to clients seeking authenticity, far from mass tourism. In this evolution, the role of content creators becomes strategic: understanding the income of influencers in tourism and structuring ethical collaborations allows for increased reach without distorting territories.
Differentiating experiences and affinity marketing
Guadeloupe focuses on affinity levers: Creole cuisine, water activities, Caribbean cultures, but also nature micro-adventures. In this context, visitor circulation between neighboring islands becomes a competitive asset, especially for markets seeking combined stays and consistent storytelling.
Mayotte: gradual reconquest after the cyclone
Eight months after the passage of Cyclone Chido, Mayotte presents itself at the fair with determination. The attractiveness agency and tourism development, accompanied by seven professionals, aims to sign several agreements with European operators. The officials know that the return to normalcy will happen in stages: the goal is to engage metropolitan markets, relaunch demand in successive waves, and establish trust through transparent communication and committed partners.
The Mayotte strategy highlights the richness of the lagoon, the discovery of villages, the meeting with artisans, and the upskilling of accommodations. The roadmap is intended to be gradual but resolutely focused on welcome and service quality.
Guyane: the French Amazon as a signature
In search of innovation and the unusual, Guyane values a unique positioning: the French Amazon, one of a kind. The result is a sector growth of 13% in 2024 and already an additional +5% at the start of 2025. The destination sits at the table of the greats by capitalizing on biodiversity, rivers, local cultures, and a powerful narrative, while modernizing its stories and sales channels.
This rise in power resonates with international trends: the diversification of clients through communities of passion (sports, nature, culture, science) or the rise of hybrid events. On a global scale, the impact of video games and esports on tourism opens up new activation avenues: festivals, creative meetings, thematic circuits. Another source of inspiration: cycling tourism in Rwanda, which illustrates how a sport can structure a destination and its economic benefits, from hospitality to events.
Rising data and consolidation of the offer
Driven by these good performances, Guyane continues to structure its sectors: nature guides, immersive accommodations, routes on the upper Maroni, scientific tourism, and wildlife observation. The enhancement is accompanied by work on distribution and packaging of offers suited for both long stays and targeted getaways.
A showcase and springboard fair for the overseas territories
Beyond these poles, the presence of Saint-Pierre-et-Miquelon and Martinique confirms the role of IFTM Top Résa as a major showcase for the overseas territories. This platform offers feedback, press meetings, and the possibility to benchmark other territories. Thus, when a fair abroad brings forth a promising theme – as seen in Rimini around certain destinations – French professionals can adapt these insights to their island realities.
The brand positioning, in turn, is also refined by the narrative. The manner in which a hexagonal region constructs a differentiating imaginary – as illustrated by Normandy highlighted as “unique” for its cultural and natural assets – nourishes overseas reflections. The challenge remains to translate rich heritages into contemporary experiences: contemporary heritage tours, responsible festivals, charming hospitality, and seamless connections between archipelagos.
In this context, networking, marketing engineering, and connectivity remain key terms. The fair acts as an accelerator where deals are concluded, new routes are opened, and island coalitions capable of making an international impact are solidified.
