by Lacey Pfalz
Last updated: 10:35 AM ET, Fri January 31, 2025
France is once again the world’s most-visited country, welcoming 100 million international visitors and earning €71 billion, roughly US$73.6 billion, in international revenue alone.
According to Atout France, the country’s tourism development agency, France saw two million more visitors than in 2023 and earned 12 percent more revenue from tourism than the year prior. The year saw great popularity for France, which hosted both the Olympic and Paralympic Games and celebrated the 80th anniversary of D-Day and the reopening of Notre-Dame de Paris.
International visitor totals were up, spurred by Northern European and Americans. Overnight stays for Belgians and Spanish were up five and three percent, while those from North America enjoyed five percent more overnight stays than in 2023.
Chinese and Japanese travelers visited France 40 percent and 20 percent more than in 2023, but have yet to fully recover to pre-COVID levels. Overall, overnight stays by international travelers were up 7.3 percent, which Atout France attributes to 16.4 percent rental accommodation growth.
In terms of revenue, the top five source markets include Belgium, the UK, Germany, Switzerland and the USA, an increase of five to 15 percent each from 2023. Revenue is still 60 percent less for Chinese travelers and 30 percent less for Japanese travelers than the pre-pandemic levels.
A larger trend in France were more travelers visiting ski resorts, spurred by great snow cover, with 85 percent occupancy rates, a three-point increase from the year before. Seventy-one percent of ski destinations saw an increase of visitors in 2024.
A Look Towards 2025
Water jousting in Sete, France (Photo Credit: Eric Bowman)
The first quarter of the year is expecting to be positive for France, with 10 percent in international air arrivals and a seven-point increase in hotel occupancy in Paris.
Visitor numbers are already projected to be higher than the first quarter of 2024, with 15 percent more American, 16 percent more Chinese and seven percent more Indian travelers entering France.
“With the Olympic and Paralympic Games, the reopening of Notre-Dame and the 80th anniversary of the D-Day landings, 2024 was an unprecedented and exceptional year for France,” said Nathalie Delattre, Minister Delegate for Tourism in France. “While these figures confirm our position as the world's No. 1 destination, we need to take it to the next level by becoming the No. 1 destination for sustainable tourism.”
“We have a dual objective: to capitalize on this year, which has put France on the map worldwide, and to support the sector's transition,” continued Delattre. “The challenges we face are numerous: improving the quality of our offer and spreading visitor numbers throughout the year, supporting the sector in its ecological and digital transition, enhancing the attractiveness of our professions, and ensuring the preservation of social and inclusive tourism. It's only by working closely together with the French government, tourism stakeholders and local authorities that we'll be able to turn this corner.”
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