I'm typing these lines during the closing of Convenc'Tour 2026, aboard the Club Med 2. Around me, faces are a little tired, suitcases are almost packed, and conversations continue in the corridors. It's often at moments like these that you understand what an event has truly produced. Not just in the official program, but in the phrases that linger, the deck conversations, the glances exchanged between participants, the ideas that each person will take back to their agency.
Summary
An agreement that spoke truthfully to the agencies
This Convenc'Tour had a powerful theme: "Finding balance in a world in disequilibrium." On paper, it might have sounded like a nice phrase. On the ship, it became very concrete. The agencies discussed more hesitant clients, margins to protect, suppliers who are sometimes difficult to understand, technology, AI, recruitment, legal issues, training, VAT, responsible tourism, and mental workload.
Adriana Minchella's words will remain one of the defining moments of this edition for me: "We mustn't remain stuck in our habits and certainties." They perfectly sum up the spirit of these days. Tourism is certainly not lacking in energy. But it must be willing to look at itself honestly, without nostalgia or false comfort.
The real issue: regaining control
What I heard here was less concern than a need to regain control. To regain control of client files. To regain control of margins. To regain control of the value of advice. To regain control of key performance indicators. To regain control of relationships with partners.
Exchanges between agencies, tour operators, and professional organizations have sometimes been direct. All the better. The sector doesn't need bland rhetoric. It needs productive discussions. When agencies say they need more responsiveness, clarity, content, price parity, and sales support, they aren't complaining. They're reminding everyone that they're in direct contact with the end customer. And today, that customer compares, waits, hesitates, weighs up, and chooses their channel.
The collective is not a conventional word
Cediv Travel has demonstrated an important point here: a network's value lies not only in its agreements or tools, but also in its ability to bring real issues to the forefront, open up discussions, build connections, and encourage its members to take greater control of their businesses.
In Calvi, the workshops on People, Performance, Client, electronic invoicing, VAT, training, legal matters, and ATR (Authorization to Retain) highlighted a fundamental truth: the future of agencies will not depend solely on sales. It will also depend on organization, competence, compliance, human relationships, and the ability to prioritize effectively.
My takeaway from leaving Club Med 2
My first takeaway is that agencies still have a strong role to play, provided they make their value visible. Advice alone is no longer enough if it isn't explained. Proximity alone is no longer enough if it isn't actively engaged. Expertise alone is no longer enough if it isn't translated into a client decision.
I also believe that technology won't replace agencies that know their purpose. However, it will disrupt those that have lost sight of where they create value. AI, tools, platforms, and new players aren't just threats. They're also catalysts. They force everyone to answer a simple question: what do I offer that the client can't find on their own?
Finally, I understand that equilibrium will never be a fixed state. It will be a movement. Like this boat. We adjust, we correct, we move forward, we listen to the wind, we stay on course. Perhaps that, ultimately, is the most useful message of this convention.
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