I don’t know if there are good or bad career paths, but if I had to summarize professional life, I’d tell you it is first and foremost about encounters.
And this adaptation of a philosophical message from an old Egyptian scribe could very well apply to many opportunities in the tourism sector. It’s not Alexandre Alary and Myriam Tord who would disagree.
One of France’s most famous travel agents is changing dimension and, for a while, stepping out of her storefront to don a new suit. A shift into a different realm that arose from a meeting and numerous discussions.
“We have known each other for a number of years. She wanted to evolve and also diversify her activity.
Myriam wants to teach and pass on knowledge; we were looking for a way to start this, and we have just found it. It was also important for us, as for her, that we could work together. It’s a joint project.
Travel agents want people who are in the ecosystem, who know the tourism industry and their daily life, not personalities arriving from I don’t know where,” explains Alexandre Alary.
And this adaptation of a philosophical message from an old Egyptian scribe could very well apply to many opportunities in the tourism sector. It’s not Alexandre Alary and Myriam Tord who would disagree.
One of France’s most famous travel agents is changing dimension and, for a while, stepping out of her storefront to don a new suit. A shift into a different realm that arose from a meeting and numerous discussions.
“We have known each other for a number of years. She wanted to evolve and also diversify her activity.
Myriam wants to teach and pass on knowledge; we were looking for a way to start this, and we have just found it. It was also important for us, as for her, that we could work together. It’s a joint project.
Travel agents want people who are in the ecosystem, who know the tourism industry and their daily life, not personalities arriving from I don’t know where,” explains Alexandre Alary.
Myriam Tord : “we must highlight our added value”
The employee of Versailles Voyages will therefore participate in the in-person workshop, a full day titled “Customer relations: strengthening your bearing with confidence and serenity.”
The first wave of trainings is scheduled to begin on March 25, then on April 7 and 16, 2026. The sessions are planned to accommodate between 5 and 12 professionals.
Myriam Tord, currently in the final tuning phase, thus adds a new string to her bow. She oscillates between the joy of teaching and the anxiety of meeting the expectations of her peers, but also her own.
One who is accustomed to interventions at IFTM Top Resa or other events is preparing with the intention of bringing real added value to her colleagues: to go beyond the superficial and delve into the blocking points.
“The aim is to move from theory to the concrete, not stay in theory: that’s often the pitfall, and what is missing in this type of training.
We often hear ‘you must do this or that,’, without really knowing what we talk about on a daily basis.
I will rely a lot on my experience, on what I have tested and the setbacks I’ve faced as a travel agent, but also on all the feedback I get from salespeople or from the Helpdesk.
I want travel agents to come and challenge me on cases they have, so we can dissect them and refine their knowledge.
The idea is to give tips to agencies that want to stand out through human interaction. we told Myriam Tord.
During the day, participants will therefore learn to highlight their strengths.
The challenge is also to make clients aware that in front of them are not people selling pre-packaged trips, but people who care about service, advice and listening.
The first wave of trainings is scheduled to begin on March 25, then on April 7 and 16, 2026. The sessions are planned to accommodate between 5 and 12 professionals.
Myriam Tord, currently in the final tuning phase, thus adds a new string to her bow. She oscillates between the joy of teaching and the anxiety of meeting the expectations of her peers, but also her own.
One who is accustomed to interventions at IFTM Top Resa or other events is preparing with the intention of bringing real added value to her colleagues: to go beyond the superficial and delve into the blocking points.
“The aim is to move from theory to the concrete, not stay in theory: that’s often the pitfall, and what is missing in this type of training.
We often hear ‘you must do this or that,’, without really knowing what we talk about on a daily basis.
I will rely a lot on my experience, on what I have tested and the setbacks I’ve faced as a travel agent, but also on all the feedback I get from salespeople or from the Helpdesk.
I want travel agents to come and challenge me on cases they have, so we can dissect them and refine their knowledge.
The idea is to give tips to agencies that want to stand out through human interaction. we told Myriam Tord.
During the day, participants will therefore learn to highlight their strengths.
The challenge is also to make clients aware that in front of them are not people selling pre-packaged trips, but people who care about service, advice and listening.
Myriam Tord : “We are not sellers, we create a real connection”
“To make our sector more attractive, we must ensure that those who are in the role are motivated, calm in what they do.
We are not sellers, we create a real connection, all within the context of evolving customer relations.
The throughline of my career has always been to highlight the profession.
This happens through training, updating customer relations, and the question: how to be a travel agent? Because, to avoid continued stigmatization, we must highlight our added value, and ensure that it is perceptible to clients,” she says.
The sessions are already attracting a healthy turnout, but there are still a few spots left.
Other trainings will take place at DGT Formations on the topic of management, titled “Leadership & Interpersonal Communication,” led by Adeline Musset-Sullivan, a name you know well.
AI will of course be on the agenda with a day for “Optimizing productivity and sustainability through AI“, with Lucile Violet-Parlange.
“Travel agents want to understand AI, but especially have use cases, exercises that match their issues, and see how generative AI can be a solution.
Lucile has the advantage of having worked in many tourism organizations: she knows the stakes and the needs of professionals.
That’s not all, because we also have innovations on the DGT Academy, the platform accessible 24/7, which has had a good start,” shares Alexandre Alary.
We are not sellers, we create a real connection, all within the context of evolving customer relations.
The throughline of my career has always been to highlight the profession.
This happens through training, updating customer relations, and the question: how to be a travel agent? Because, to avoid continued stigmatization, we must highlight our added value, and ensure that it is perceptible to clients,” she says.
The sessions are already attracting a healthy turnout, but there are still a few spots left.
Other trainings will take place at DGT Formations on the topic of management, titled “Leadership & Interpersonal Communication,” led by Adeline Musset-Sullivan, a name you know well.
AI will of course be on the agenda with a day for “Optimizing productivity and sustainability through AI“, with Lucile Violet-Parlange.
“Travel agents want to understand AI, but especially have use cases, exercises that match their issues, and see how generative AI can be a solution.
Lucile has the advantage of having worked in many tourism organizations: she knows the stakes and the needs of professionals.
That’s not all, because we also have innovations on the DGT Academy, the platform accessible 24/7, which has had a good start,” shares Alexandre Alary.
DGT Academy: from online training to in-person events
This site allows industry players to maintain their knowledge and advance their skills throughout the year, whether on destinations with an eco-responsible angle, but also on other professional topics.
In total, more than 70 agencies have access to the content, and discussions with networks are underway to push this figure beyond 100.
“We find micro-trainings, webinars or technical materials there.
We also offer the possibility to discover or rediscover providers. There was Cocohop in particular, which drew a large crowd. Then, we will have appointments to reveal what the Travel Life label is.
Assurever will present its innovations there, etc. APG France will join the platform to transmit its DNA, via Antoine Huet: thus all their news. They will organize webinars and share resources.
The Quimbaya Latin America receptive operator will also arrive in a few days, represented by Claudia Terrade. We are in discussions with other partners and destinations.
Because this is new, professionals needed to adopt it, and eventually word-of-mouth brought in the agencies. Beyond the platform, we are considering the creation of in-person events. We are building a community that would need to meet and exchange in person.
We want to redefine the rules of event management, in connection with destinations and themes. All on a human scale, in a quality and entertaining moment,” reveals the director of DGT Formations and Academy.
In total, more than 70 agencies have access to the content, and discussions with networks are underway to push this figure beyond 100.
“We find micro-trainings, webinars or technical materials there.
We also offer the possibility to discover or rediscover providers. There was Cocohop in particular, which drew a large crowd. Then, we will have appointments to reveal what the Travel Life label is.
Assurever will present its innovations there, etc. APG France will join the platform to transmit its DNA, via Antoine Huet: thus all their news. They will organize webinars and share resources.
The Quimbaya Latin America receptive operator will also arrive in a few days, represented by Claudia Terrade. We are in discussions with other partners and destinations.
Because this is new, professionals needed to adopt it, and eventually word-of-mouth brought in the agencies. Beyond the platform, we are considering the creation of in-person events. We are building a community that would need to meet and exchange in person.
We want to redefine the rules of event management, in connection with destinations and themes. All on a human scale, in a quality and entertaining moment,” reveals the director of DGT Formations and Academy.
“The industry has moved into a different phase on the sustainability topic”
In recent months, echoing companies relocating their employees to their offices, in-person presence has made a strong comeback.
The sustainability aspect, however, has not entirely disappeared from the program; it has simply blended into the content. Although the term isn’t marketable and a bit vague, travel agents must be proactive, and to do that, they must be trained on the products.
“We propose discovering countries from a different angle, with meaning, all within an eco-responsible vision. I think the industry has entered a new phase on sustainability: proof is the village of sustainable initiatives at the last IFTM Top Resa.
Our trainings are anchored in the core métier, in the product, and they incorporate destinations from another angle, with meaning, all within an eco-responsible vision, then by sourcing engaged providers.
We created Desti’Durable, in response to this issue of unfamiliarity and the challenge of tools and agency sourcing,” concludes Alexandre Alary.
And indeed, on the edutour 2.0, new features are expected very soon, such as the name of the future destination.
The sustainability aspect, however, has not entirely disappeared from the program; it has simply blended into the content. Although the term isn’t marketable and a bit vague, travel agents must be proactive, and to do that, they must be trained on the products.
“We propose discovering countries from a different angle, with meaning, all within an eco-responsible vision. I think the industry has entered a new phase on sustainability: proof is the village of sustainable initiatives at the last IFTM Top Resa.
Our trainings are anchored in the core métier, in the product, and they incorporate destinations from another angle, with meaning, all within an eco-responsible vision, then by sourcing engaged providers.
We created Desti’Durable, in response to this issue of unfamiliarity and the challenge of tools and agency sourcing,” concludes Alexandre Alary.
And indeed, on the edutour 2.0, new features are expected very soon, such as the name of the future destination.
