Approximately 550 tourism professionals gathered on Thursday, March 19, 2026, for the 17th edition of the Travel d’Or ceremony, an annual event recognizing the favorite tourism brands among French travelers. Organized by Eventiz, the ceremony has become a recurring fixture in the French tourism calendar since its launch in 2008, during a challenging economic period.
This year’s event also marked a leadership transition, as Frédéric Vanhoutte, founder of Eventiz and creator of the Travel d’Or, formally handed over responsibilities to a new generation within the organization.
During the ceremony, industry representatives Valérie Boned of Entreprises du Voyage, Patrice Caradec of Seto, and Jean-Pierre Nadir of Fairmoove paid tribute to Vanhoutte, describing him as a “passionate entrepreneur”, a “unifier of the profession”, “benevolent”, and a speaker with a “light pen” and full of humour.
According to L’Echo Touristique, the awards recognized 15 categories across the tourism sector, including travel agencies, tour operators, hospitality, and outdoor accommodations. Among the winners were TUI as Travel Agency of the Year, Club Med as Tour Operator, Booking.com as Online Travel Agency, and Yelloh! Village in the outdoor accommodation category.
Other notable winners included Center Parcs for vacation rentals, Emirates as Airline of the Year, and Chamonix-Mont-Blanc as the leading mountain destination. Canada received two distinctions, winning both Foreign Tourism Board and Brand of the Year, the latter determined through a public vote held during the evening.
Two additional awards were decided live on March 19, with Tahiti Tourisme winning for Advertising Campaign. In total, 15 main awards and two special prizes were presented.
The selection process combined public opinion and expert evaluation. Eventiz pre-selected 350 companies across categories, with additional entries accepted until February 6, 2026.
Research firm Discurv conducted an online survey of 3,574 French travelers, evaluating brands based on awareness, image, innovation, and consumer preference. These results accounted for 70 percent of the final score, while a jury of six industry professionals contributed the remaining 30 percent.
For professionals in the outdoor hospitality and broader tourism sectors, the results offer insight into consumer perception trends in the French market. The recognition of brands such as Yelloh! Village and Center Parcs highlights continued demand for structured outdoor and hybrid accommodation experiences.
Additionally, the weighting of innovation and brand perception in the methodology suggests that investment in customer experience, digital presence, and differentiated offerings remains central to maintaining competitiveness in a crowded market.