TourMaG – After a spring that proved difficult for operators due to the conflict that began in the Middle East at the end of February, has Voyamar and Travel Explorer’s activity managed to rebound?
Aurélien Aufort : Since Monday, I have been seeing a +30% trend. It has been a long time since we had days at that level. We had an initial rebound in August with a pickup in orders. We are observing a second rebound since the start of September.
It is still early to get carried away since we only have eight days of data, but the trend is rather positive.
TourMaG – Are last-minute sales driving the demand?
Aurélien Aufort : Indeed, we are seeing a lot, a lot, a lot of last-minute sales.
TourMaG – Could these sales make up for part of 2026?
Aurélien Aufort : Today, our objective is to reach the level of 2025, and we believe we can achieve it. Two months ago, I would not have said the same. Sales are progressing every day and are gradually offsetting what we lost over several months, notably in April and May.
On the individual departures for 2027, we are gradually catching up on our backlog. We are also seeing very pleasant surprises on destinations. Notably, something very interesting is happening with Japan, which currently has wind in its sails, as well as with Brazil. These are two focus areas that we are selling a lot, with major files in progress.
Aurélien Aufort : Since Monday, I have been seeing a +30% trend. It has been a long time since we had days at that level. We had an initial rebound in August with a pickup in orders. We are observing a second rebound since the start of September.
It is still early to get carried away since we only have eight days of data, but the trend is rather positive.
TourMaG – Are last-minute sales driving the demand?
Aurélien Aufort : Indeed, we are seeing a lot, a lot, a lot of last-minute sales.
TourMaG – Could these sales make up for part of 2026?
Aurélien Aufort : Today, our objective is to reach the level of 2025, and we believe we can achieve it. Two months ago, I would not have said the same. Sales are progressing every day and are gradually offsetting what we lost over several months, notably in April and May.
On the individual departures for 2027, we are gradually catching up on our backlog. We are also seeing very pleasant surprises on destinations. Notably, something very interesting is happening with Japan, which currently has wind in its sails, as well as with Brazil. These are two focus areas that we are selling a lot, with major files in progress.
“Travel Explorer is well above our expectations”
TourMaG – Do the composed groups show some momentum, do you notice it?
Aurélien Aufort : The group segment is the one that has suffered the least, or perhaps not suffered at all. 2026 is an exceptionally strong year. And for 2027, we are currently more than 30% ahead of the previous year. We are carrying out many long-haul trips within this activity.
TourMaG – Where do you stand with Travel Explorer, have agencies adopted the tool?
Aurélien Aufort : The real blockbuster of 2026 is Travel Explorer, which is well above our expectations. To give you a sense of scale, last week Travel Explorer showed a progression of more than 70% compared to the same week last year. On average, since the start of the year, we have been recording growth of over 40%.
I attribute this mainly to the adoption of the tool by agencies and the work we have been doing over the past two years. I believe the tool is truly extraordinary and has no equivalent on the market. It enables selling both short-haul dossiers and tailor-made trips, to Japan, Bali, and Canada.
Canada is having a very strong year in 2026. Travel Explorer is taking an increasingly important place in our sales.
Tunisia is also experiencing a very strong post-season. September departures and October departures will exceed our expectations. This is good news because July was not exceptionally strong and August was stable.
Aurélien Aufort : The group segment is the one that has suffered the least, or perhaps not suffered at all. 2026 is an exceptionally strong year. And for 2027, we are currently more than 30% ahead of the previous year. We are carrying out many long-haul trips within this activity.
TourMaG – Where do you stand with Travel Explorer, have agencies adopted the tool?
Aurélien Aufort : The real blockbuster of 2026 is Travel Explorer, which is well above our expectations. To give you a sense of scale, last week Travel Explorer showed a progression of more than 70% compared to the same week last year. On average, since the start of the year, we have been recording growth of over 40%.
I attribute this mainly to the adoption of the tool by agencies and the work we have been doing over the past two years. I believe the tool is truly extraordinary and has no equivalent on the market. It enables selling both short-haul dossiers and tailor-made trips, to Japan, Bali, and Canada.
Canada is having a very strong year in 2026. Travel Explorer is taking an increasingly important place in our sales.
Tunisia is also experiencing a very strong post-season. September departures and October departures will exceed our expectations. This is good news because July was not exceptionally strong and August was stable.
TourMag – Are there new features on Travel Explorer?
Aurélien Aufort : We have integrated new features. Version 3 of the AI now allows constructing a trip in natural language, like on ChatGPT. Just indicate your desires, constraints, or destination, and the tool will build the journey. It now works very well, which wasn’t the case before.
We have also worked a lot on the details, with new filters and new features around tailor-made travel. For example, it is now possible to build a trip by car with an electric vehicle simply by selecting this criterion. The tool then builds the itinerary taking this constraint into account.
This may seem minor, but it is a growing demand, especially in Europe, from travelers wanting to reach Italy, Spain, or Portugal with their own car.
The challenge for 2027 is really to work on circuits and to develop this service on Travel Explorer. We especially want to offer circuit combinations with bedbanks, so that the client can adjust their journey before or after the circuit. The objective is to create a new segment, that of semi-custom travel: the client buys a guided circuit but can personalize the start or end of their stay.
Aurélien Aufort : We have integrated new features. Version 3 of the AI now allows constructing a trip in natural language, like on ChatGPT. Just indicate your desires, constraints, or destination, and the tool will build the journey. It now works very well, which wasn’t the case before.
We have also worked a lot on the details, with new filters and new features around tailor-made travel. For example, it is now possible to build a trip by car with an electric vehicle simply by selecting this criterion. The tool then builds the itinerary taking this constraint into account.
This may seem minor, but it is a growing demand, especially in Europe, from travelers wanting to reach Italy, Spain, or Portugal with their own car.
The challenge for 2027 is really to work on circuits and to develop this service on Travel Explorer. We especially want to offer circuit combinations with bedbanks, so that the client can adjust their journey before or after the circuit. The objective is to create a new segment, that of semi-custom travel: the client buys a guided circuit but can personalize the start or end of their stay.
“My sense is that the United States will really rebound”
TourMaG – The United States, Egypt… How are these destinations faring?
Aurélien Aufort : Egypt is gradually picking up again, but we have not yet returned to the levels we should reach. Jordan is at a standstill. It was an axis that accounted for 3% to 4% of our activity, which is not negligible.
Regarding the United States, that is the question everyone asks: will it rebound? My sense is that the destination will really pick up again, even though this remains an intuition. It has been two or three years that we have faced difficulties with this destination. New York has so far been relatively spared from this decline in activity.
Now, indeed, I do not control Donald Trump’s communications. I still clearly see a return of the United States in 2027.
TourMaG – What about the Naya Clubs?
Aurélien Aufort : Tunisia has resisted well, notably thanks to prices that helped maintain a solid level of sales. Spain, for its part, had a very good year.
Aurélien Aufort : Egypt is gradually picking up again, but we have not yet returned to the levels we should reach. Jordan is at a standstill. It was an axis that accounted for 3% to 4% of our activity, which is not negligible.
Regarding the United States, that is the question everyone asks: will it rebound? My sense is that the destination will really pick up again, even though this remains an intuition. It has been two or three years that we have faced difficulties with this destination. New York has so far been relatively spared from this decline in activity.
Now, indeed, I do not control Donald Trump’s communications. I still clearly see a return of the United States in 2027.
TourMaG – What about the Naya Clubs?
Aurélien Aufort : Tunisia has resisted well, notably thanks to prices that helped maintain a solid level of sales. Spain, for its part, had a very good year.
TourMaG – Will you launch new clubs?
Aurélien Aufort : For the winter, we will consolidate what we have achieved. For 2027, we are working on one or two new clubs in Tunisia and on expanding in Spain. We will have two clubs in continental Spain, in Malaga and on the Costa Brava.
TourMaG – Will you be present at IFTM with all the other brands of the Marietton group?
Aurélien Aufort : Indeed, we will be present at IFTM with the three major tour operators of the Marietton group: Austral Lagons, Voyamar and Héliades. For the first time, the three brands will be gathered on a single stand. This was a deliberate choice on our part: to allow agencies to come to meet us all together.
Aurélien Aufort : For the winter, we will consolidate what we have achieved. For 2027, we are working on one or two new clubs in Tunisia and on expanding in Spain. We will have two clubs in continental Spain, in Malaga and on the Costa Brava.
TourMaG – Will you be present at IFTM with all the other brands of the Marietton group?
Aurélien Aufort : Indeed, we will be present at IFTM with the three major tour operators of the Marietton group: Austral Lagons, Voyamar and Héliades. For the first time, the three brands will be gathered on a single stand. This was a deliberate choice on our part: to allow agencies to come to meet us all together.
