Saint-Nazaire, Le Havre, Marseille: MSC World Asia’s Very French Launch


Parmi les nouveautés du MSC World Asia, Cliffhanger, une balançoire suspendue à 50 mètres au-dessus de la mer - Photo : MSC Croisières

CroisiEurope


France will be at the heart of the early days of the MSC World Asia.

The third ship of MSC Cruises’ World class will be delivered on November 25, 2026 by Chantiers de l’Atlantique in Saint-Nazaire, before performing its inaugural sailing and then being officially christened in Le Havre on November 28.

The liner will then join the Mediterranean, where it will kick off its inaugural season starting December 4, 2026.

It will offer seven-night itineraries in the Western Mediterranean, with embarkations notably in Barcelona and Marseille, as well as calls in Messina, Civitavecchia, Naples and Valletta. Passengers will be able to embark at each of these ports.

Beyond its inaugural schedule, this sequence highlights the long-standing partnership between MSC Cruises and Chantiers de l’Atlantique.

Since 2002, the company claims to have invested more than €21 billion in France through the construction of 19 ships, contributing to the maintenance of 7,500 direct jobs and a network of more than 500 French companies.


New attractions and immersive experiences

The arrival of the MSC World Asia also marks the commercial launch of the 2026-2027 winter season in the Western Mediterranean.

The ship will notably be offered from Marseille, which has, over the years, become one of MSC Cruises’ main embarkation ports for French guests.

The company continues to unveil the new features that will distinguish the World Asia from its two predecessors.

Among them are Cliffhanger, a swing suspended 50 meters above the sea, as well as a new version of The Spiral Tree of Life, the spectacular dry slide of more than 80 meters integrated into the ship’s architecture.

The MSC Luna Park Arena will also offer a new generation of immersive entertainment experiences.


Gastronomy: Southeast Asia in the spotlight

The culinary offering will be enriched by a space inspired by Southeast Asian street markets, bringing together a pan-Asian restaurant, street food and a dedicated bar.

The Italian house Venchi will also open its largest space at sea there, featuring a boutique, café, gelateria and Chocolate Lab spanning nearly 300 m².

Families will have access to a fully redesigned Family Aventura District, with The Clubhouse and The Harbour spaces, while the MSC Aurea Spa will inaugurate a new wellness offering.

In total, the ship will boast more than 40 bars and restaurants, seven pools, thirteen hot tubs, as well as an expanded entertainment offering for all generations.

TourMaG will follow the different stages of the MSC World Asia launch, from its delivery in Saint-Nazaire to its christening in Le Havre, before its commercial entry into the Mediterranean.

IFTM: Launch of ‘Escales Littéraires’, the First Travel Bookstore

IFTM : lancement des "Escales Littéraires", la première librairie du voyage

CroisiEurope


For its grand edition in 2026, the leading professional trade show IFTM adds a new cultural event: Les Escales Littéraires.

Installed on a stand of about forty square meters, fully scenographed, this new attraction hub will bring together the best of travel-related publishing, tourism, fiction, and human adventure.

Born from the desire to celebrate writing in all its forms within the travel sector, the bookstore Les Escales Littéraires is structured around a partnership with Hachette Tourisme and a selection of authors divided into two main categories.

1) The tourism industry author professionals: whether self-published, published on demand, or by independent publishing houses, these familiar faces in the sector reveal their technical works, their essays or their fiction.

2) The flagship authors from Hachette Tourisme (influencers, stars, journalists…) : the minds behind the must-have guides will be present to decode new destinations and the finest travel experiences.

Bien plus qu’un simple espace de dédicaces, le stand des Escales Littéraires sera un véritable lieu d’échanges et de rencontres.

Throughout the three days, an integrated stage area will host the selected authors who will present and sign their works.

The schedule of these interventions will be relayed through the IFTM’s official communication channels and in the professional press.


ARE YOU AN AUTHOR? SUBMIT YOUR APPLICATION

If you are a tourism professional and an author of technical or fiction works and wish to participate in “Les Escales Littéraires,” please send your letter of intent to Jean da Luz-Figueiredo, writer and host of Les Escales Littéraires.

Please include your contact details, a note about your works, and indicate the book(s) you authored, as well as their publication dates.

Contact : [email protected]

Tel. 06 60 71 35 75


Corsair Webinar: Autumn-Winter 2021/22 Collection Launch – September 28, 2021




Thématique : What’s New

Date : September 28, 2021

Heure : 11:00 AM


Webinar Description

Discover the trending destinations for this new season: Mauritius, Punta Cana and our new direct flights from Nantes, Bordeaux, Lyon and Marseille.

This webinar aims to deepen your knowledge of Corsair’s new offers and opportunities.

Corsair is doing everything possible to enable your clients to book their trip with total peace of mind : all tickets are changeable and refundable without fees for all departures until March 31, 2022.

Our two stylists Christine and Magali will present this new collection and provide you with the keys to try to win the prize of 2 tickets up for grabs during the Corsair News Quiz.


Other sessions

● Immersion voyage in the Indian Ocean : Replay

● Heading to the Caribbean Islands : Replay


Who we are

Corsair is a regular French long‑haul airline employing around 970 people. It carries about 1.2 million passengers per year. Corsair operates scheduled flights to the Caribbean (Guadeloupe and Martinique), the Indian Ocean (La Réunion, Mauritius, Mayotte), Africa (Ivory Coast) and Canada (Montreal), and will serve Punta Cana starting December 11, 2021.

Opening of routes from the provinces:

– Lyon and Marseille to La Réunion and Mayotte since June 21, 2021.

– Paris-Orly / Mauritius from October 22 and Lyon / Marseille / La Réunion / Mauritius from October 23.

– Nantes / Fort-de-France from December 16, 2021.

– Bordeaux / Pointe-à-Pitre from December 19, 2021.

– Lyon / Pointe-à-Pitre from December 21, 2021.


Contact Us


Webinaire Corsair -  Nouvelle collection Automne Hiver 21/22 - 28 septembre 2021
AGENCY HELPDESK Monday to Friday from 09:00 to 18:00

0820 825 318 (0.15 €/min)

[email protected]

CORSAIR.BIZ Site dedicated to travel professionals

(agent rates, commercial procedures, product offers, etc.)

www.corsair.biz

GROUP SERVICE Monday to Friday from 09:00 to 18:00

01 81 94 15 00

[email protected]

CORSAIRGROUPE Your new online group quotation tool

Registration & information, write to [email protected]

Website: www.flycorsair.com

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Bed Bugs: Launch of a New Label for Tourist Accommodations

A risk management and bed bug infestation label for tourist accommodations was launched on Wednesday by Bureau Veritas in partnership with two associations specializing in bed bug detection and treatment.

“To value the committed establishments and provide visitors with a reassurance badge, Bureau Veritas Certification is rolling out from this July the Bed Bugs Project certification,” whose association Prosane, the association of health protection and environmental protection professionals, and the Syndicate of Experts in Canine Bed Bug Detection (SEDCPL) “are the reference technical partners”, according to a press release.

Bed bug infestations more numerous in summer

Designed for hotels, holiday clubs, tourist residences and campsites, obtaining this annual certification rests on an audit that notably covers the designation of internal referents, the recording of suspicions and detections, the handling of customer complaints, or the execution of an annual diagnostic. 

During July to September, tourist establishments account for 60% of interventions recorded by professionals in bed bug detection and treatment, whereas the rest of the year only one in five interventions concerns tourist establishments, according to the press release.

A preventive diagnosis to safeguard the reputations of some hoteliers

“With a view to preserving the quality of the customer experience and their reputation, hoteliers are now turning more readily, more regularly, and proactively to diagnostic and treatment professionals,” and “they represent 44% of the activity of professionals in the tourism sector”, it is stressed. Seasonal furnished rentals now account for 29% of the sector’s treatment files, while tourist residences and aparthotels concentrate 15% of the requests.

Glion and the Four Seasons Hotel George V in Paris Launch an Unprecedented Contest


Glion et l'hôtel Four Seasons George V, Paris lancent un concours "inédit" !, Depositphotos.comPhoto by Mirage3

IFTM


Glion et l’hôtel George V, Paris lancent un concours conçu pour révéler les plus grands talents du luxe. Son nom est “The next Luxury Business Leader” (le prochain leader du secteur du luxe) afin d’imaginer l’expérience client de luxe de demain. Il s’agit d’un partenariat exclusif entre l’école de management hôtelier Glion et le palace Four Seasons Hotel George V, Paris.

Pour Thibaut Drege, Directeur général du Four Seasons Hotel George V, Paris, cette initiative reflète aussi l’importance de transmettre aux nouvelles générations : « L’hospitalité est avant tout une histoire profondément humaine. Derrière chaque expérience d’exception, se trouvent des femmes et des hommes capables d’allier excellence, sens du détail et intelligence émotionnelle. Soutenir les talents de demain fait partie intégrante de notre responsabilité, et ce partenariat avec Glion représente une manière concrète de contribuer à façonner l’avenir de notre industrie. »

A lire : Glion lance un nouveau Master dédié au leadership hôtelier


Qui peut candidater ?

The targets of this competition are students and recent graduates eligible for a Glion Master’s program, passionate about premium hospitality and luxury. It is open exclusively to residents of four countries: France, Belgium, Monaco and Luxembourg.

To apply, the candidate must submit a 2- to 3-minute introductory video, as well as supplementary visual material and a proposal written in English or French. Applications are open until June 30, 2026, via the official contest page.

Following this first selection phase based on dossiers and motivation letters, those with the most promising profiles will be invited to develop their response to the challenge. Subsequently, six finalists will have the chance to present their project during a final held at the prestigious Four Seasons Hotel George V, Paris. They will face a jury comprised of Glion members and representatives of this luxury Parisian hotel.

The grand winner will receive a scholarship covering 100% of the academic fees for a Master’s program at Glion (intakes in September 2026 or March 2027). In addition to exceptional professional support: mentoring and coaching sessions with the leadership teams of the George V, as well as a professional immersion within the palace.

The challenge phase will take place from June 30 to July 31, 2026. For the final and the winner announcement: see you on August 20!

Corsair to Launch Two New Routes From Mainland France to Guadeloupe


Corsair va desservir la Guadeloupe depuis Marseille - Crédit photo : RP

CroisiEurope


By the end of September 2026, Corsair will no longer face any Europe-imposed constraints as part of its restructuring plan.

Until that date, the fleet must still be strictly limited to nine aircraft and slots must be handed back.

To read : Slots, aircraft… Brussels’ constraints do not dampen Corsair’s appetite!

The company led by Pascal de Izaguirre has, however, decided not to wait for this deadline to resume its development. It announces the opening of two new routes to Guadeloupe from mainland France.

Thus, Corsair will launch Marseille – Pointe-à-Pitre starting 15 December 2026, followed by Toulouse – Pointe-à-Pitre from 16 December 2026.

The routes will operate during the winter, on board Airbus A330neo.


The schedules of Corsair’s new flights

Corsair is already present at these airports in southern France, but this announcement allows it to continue pursuing its ambition: to offer more direct long-haul connections from major regional hubs.

The Toulouse – Pointe-à-Pitre route will depart every Wednesday at 12:00, arriving in Guadeloupe at 15:50. The return flight will also take place on Wednesdays, with a Pointe-à-Pitre departure at 17:50 and an arrival in Toulouse at 06:50 the following day.

The Marseille service will be operated every Tuesday until December 29, then every Thursday thereafter. The departure is scheduled at 11:30, with an arrival on the other side of the Atlantic at 16:00.


Returns are planned on Tuesdays until December 29, then on Thursdays, with an 18:00 takeoff from Pointe-à-Pitre and a 07:30 arrival in Provence the next day.


“For several years, Corsair has made a structural choice to directly connect the French regions with the overseas territories, with the aim of offering itineraries that are simpler, smoother, and better suited to customer expectations.

Today, no other airline offers as structured a network between the mainland and the overseas territories.

These new links between Marseille, Toulouse and Pointe-à-Pitre illustrate our will to strengthen connections between the territories and to facilitate the travel of all those who live, work or travel between the Hexagon and the Overseas territories,
” explained Pascal de Izaguirre, Chief Executive Officer of Corsair