IFTM
IFTM Daily • Tuesday 20 th September 2016 www.iftmdaily.com
NEWS 7 ADVERTORIAL NEW MARKETS IN EUROPE FOR AIR FRANCE © Air France -KLM Air France has deployed its global network in the conquest of new markets, particularly in Europe where the agility of the group has been demonstrated. Since this summer, on their medium-haul network, Air France-KLM has inaugurated 13 new routes, thus capturing many relays for European growth and demonstrating the agility of their European network: Dresden (Germany), Genoa (Italy), Inverness (Scotland), Southampton (England), Alicante, Ibiza and Valencia (Spain) by KLM departing from Amsterdam Schiphol and Glasgow (Scotland), Oran (Algeria), Cracow (Poland), Biarritz, Ajaccio and Calvi (France) by Air France with departure from Paris-Charles de Gaulle. Air France has also opened a new daily service to Amsterdam from Rennes. MORE COMFORT AND FLEXIBILITY ON AIR FRANCE EUROPE FLIGHTS Easier passage through the airport, a new cabin equipped with new leather coated seats aboard, new gourmet touches, more flexibility for business travel; Air France intends to win the medium-haul battle by proposing the best offering on the market. The company continues its up-market dynamics on its medium-haul network flying onto or out of Paris- Charles de Gaulle, with an investment of €50m. A NEW SEAT FOR GREATER COMFORT Since April 2015, Air France has introduced a fully revised seat for travellers on board 24 Airbus A319 and 25 Airbus A320 aircraft. Dressed in veritable high quality leather in all cabins, it offers optimal travel comfort, ideal for work, rest or refreshment before arrival at one’s destination. » HALL 7.2 / STAND K098 Lost in the USA Delphine Givord & Jean-Philippe Cavaillez, journalists, bloggers and founders of www.lostintheusa.fr talk to IFTM Daily about their favourite destination Delphine Givord & Jean-Philippe Cavaillez have both been journalists for a local newspaper in France since early 2000. They love to travel, and as a logical consequence, opened their first blog in 2012: “A La Fin De La Route”. We asked them how it grew from there… Gradually, it took a lot of space in our lives. And as we gained readers, we wanted to start a new project about our favourite destination, the USA. So we took one year to create “Lost In The USA”, a road-trip planner for Frenchspeaking people. What are you seeing as being the most interesting new developments in terms of hotel and transport infrastructure in the USA? Undoubtedly, it’s the emergence of unusual lodgings. Road trippers are not only looking for a bed, but for an experience: a hogan near Monument Valley, an airstream in the Texas desert, an original B&B like The Dog Bark Park Inn… Bunkhouse, an Austin company, or McMenamins in Portland, offer real experiences. Cabins and camping are growing fast too, focusing on quality, like the website Hipcamp. When it comes to transportation, road trips with traditional car are still popular, but we see that the demand for camper vans is increasing. What are your three tips for TOs or TAs looking for new ideas there (trending cities, festivals, resorts, etc)? Look beyond the Southwest, which is overcrowded. Oregon, Texas, New Mexico, Pacific Northwest, Old South are destinations that are emerging or reappearing. Organize trips around filming locations, or music: Walking Dead (Georgia), Breaking Bad (New Mexico), Forrest Gump (South) and the musical effervescence of the South. Offer varied experiences. Not only see things and landscapes, but live with them. Add experiences to a road trip: a concert at Red Rocks, a festival (Coachella, Burning Man, CMA, South By Southwest, and so on), making an original trek. Nevertheless, customisation is the key. How do you see the future of bloggers / influencers? Sunny. In terms of inspiration, influencers who have expertise already play an important part, because they embody the experience and share it. And they are prescribers and advisors - less visible, but very important IFTM Daily • Tuesday 20 th September 2016
