IFTM Top Resa ended on Thursday, 17 September in Paris, after three days of meetings between destinations, tour operators, agencies, airlines and tourism stakeholders. For its 2026 edition, the trade show had chosen the theme “The value of travel”. Mexico gave particular weight to its presence with the announcement that it will be the guest country of honour for the 2027 edition.
On the eve of the closing day, the destination brought together 150 guests at the Eiffel Tower for an evening organized around the campaign “México está de moda”. As the Franco-Mexican relationship celebrates its 200th anniversary, Mexico presented its tourism strategy in a highly symbolic setting, notably in the presence of Nathalie Desplas, Mexico’s Undersecretary of Tourism.
At the trade show, the country already had a 280 sq. m pavilion. Alongside the states of Guanajuato, Michoacán and Nayarit, highlighted during the evening, Baja California Sur-Los Cabos, Puebla, Quintana Roo, Playa del Carmen and the Tren Maya were also present, together with several tourism industry players.
A campaign to broaden the image of Mexico
“México está de moda” serves the ambition of reminding audiences that the country cannot be reduced to its best-known destinations, such as Cancun, the Riviera Maya, Mexico City or Yucatán. Mexico also wants to raise the profile of its other regions, cities, communities, culinary traditions, cultural routes and nature-based experiences.
In 2025, the country welcomed 47.8 million international tourists and ranked sixth worldwide in terms of arrivals. In Paris, the objective was therefore less to restate its tourism weight than to show the diversity of its offer.
During the evening, three states were presented. Guanajuato draws on its historic cities, gastronomy, festivals and strong cultural identity. The state will also have a particular link with France this year, as the Festival Internacional Cervantino will welcome France as guest country of honour in 2026. Nayarit highlights the Pacific, coastal landscapes and a developing offer. Michoacán combines heritage, crafts, the traditional Noche de Muertos, colonial cities and nature, particularly around the monarch butterfly.
These destinations also make it possible to address the Pueblos Mágicos, which are essential to telling the story of Mexico. Nayarit has nine, Guanajuato six and Michoacán ten, offering a range of places that can support more regional, cultural itineraries close to local traditions.
France in Mexico’s strategy
In 2025, France was Mexico’s seventh outbound market and third in Europe, behind the United Kingdom and Spain. Figures shared during IFTM indicate that nearly 292,000 French tourists arrived by air in 2025. The trend continued in early 2026, with nearly 95,000 French travelers welcomed in the first quarter, up 2.5% year-on-year.
The French market remains far behind the United States and Canada, but it matters for other reasons: length of stay, interest in circuits, heritage, gastronomy and less programmed regions. These are precisely the areas where Mexico is seeking to strengthen its visibility.
Connectivity supports this work. Aeromexico opened a direct route between Paris and Monterrey in 2026, while a Paris-Guadalajara route is due to launch in April 2027, with three flights per week. These services open more direct access to the north and west of the country, beyond Mexico City and the best-known beach destinations.
A Mexican year in preparation
The evening held in the Gustave Eiffel room on the first floor of the Eiffel Tower worked as a first step toward 2027. It placed Mexico back in the news of the French market, while offering a preview of what the country wants to make better known: its states, regional cultures, Pueblos Mágicos, nature-based experiences and gastronomy.
Gastronomy occupies an important place in Mexico’s tourism narrative. The country’s traditional cuisine is listed by UNESCO as Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, with the Michoacán paradigm as a reference. This recognition is now joined by a more visible contemporary scene, driven in particular by the Michelin Guide Mexico, whose 2026 selection brings together more than 220 restaurants.
By becoming guest country of honour at IFTM Top Resa 2027, Mexico will have a broader stage to present this map of the country to the French and European markets. The event will take place in Paris from 5 to 7 October 2027.
