ARTICLE CONTINUES…
Veau says that, other than geopolitical concerns, content fragmentation in air and rail remain top of mind for TMC leaders, with some hopes of simplification which is slowly happening.
Last year was, of course, the year that the Olympic Games came to Paris and with it the inevitable consequences during the busy summer period. “Pricing reached a peak during this period, followed by a decrease and now a stabilisation,” says Veau.
In the air sector, Air France has delayed its proposed GDS surcharge for non-NDC bookings several times, and it is now proposed for 1 July. “The smoother transition proposed, together with intermediary surcharge, is certainly the right path for Air France,” says Veau.
Meanwhile, the planned merger of American Express Global Business Travel and CWT is bringing opportunities for other TMCs in the French market. “The fact this is a long and uncertain process helps global competitors – particularly BCD who is even able to be more selective with the new clients it brings on – as well as independent TMCs aiming to reinforce their network partnerships to be a real alternative to Amex GBT,” says Veau.
AI is also a key opportunity for TMCs. “Artificial intelligence is high up in the news, events and in webinars. Practically, TMC owners are more in the exploration phase, trying to see more concretely the way it could affect their teams and clients. The most popular achievements are either in client interaction for some simple interactions, internal information sharing instead of an intranet and for learning development platforms” says Veau.
In terms of the economy, France’s GDP was up 1.1% in 2024 but is expected to fall to 0.6% in 2025.