The regional convention season for the Entreprises du Voyage (EDV), a French association representing travel agencies, has started. The EDV Centre-Ouest branch, led by Yvon Peltanche from Eden Tour, kicked off the events. This regional branch worked with the EDV Sud-Ouest, whose new president, Bruno Abenin from Travel Evasion, wanted to restart the organization of a convention that had not taken place in the region for some time. The collaboration aimed to save time, share resources, and encourage more interaction between members. Valérie Boned, the national president of the EDV, outlined the main topics that would shape the union’s activities in the coming months. She mentioned that the economic situation is slowly improving after a crisis in the spring, with more bookings for September than in September 2025. However, she warned that the recovery is still fragile, with uncertainties about consumer spending and the stability of some companies, especially airlines. Volotea, which operates in western France, including Nantes and Brest, has paused its winter operations entirely. Artificial intelligence (AI) was a major topic of discussion. Charles Tandonnet from the group Travelsoft said that travel agents should focus on securing clients and building trust at their destinations as AI becomes more common. Valérie Boned stressed the need to regulate AI use, noting that while many are using it intuitively, it can be risky without proper management. The EDV has started a project with two pilot regions to study how AI is used and help companies adapt. A webinar on October 6 will introduce a guide to help members create their own AI use policies, covering topics like supplier relationships and employee guidelines. The guide will be a six-page document with color-coded sections indicating how cautious companies should be with different AI applications. The EDV also signed a partnership with Concentrix to support members in using AI. Electronic billing for business travel remains a challenge, with Valérie Boned noting that talks with the French government have not yet resolved issues affecting 20% of business travel activities, and tensions continue with the SNCF, France's national rail company. The new European directive on package travel needs to be turned into French law by the end of 2028, and this will be another focus. The upcoming presidential election and the possible formation of a new government may complicate these efforts. In addition to these challenges, the Confederation of Tourism Actors (CAT), also led by Valérie Boned, will host a "big tourism oral - presidential 2027" on December 1st next year. The event will invite all presidential candidates to share their vision for the tourism sector. The goal is to highlight the sector’s contributions to growth and value creation and to ask for more recognition, especially regarding tax policies.