France Tourism Statistics

For over 30 years, France has consistently held the title of the world’s most visited destination, and it’s no surprise why. Known for its romantic cities, iconic landmarks, world-renowned cuisine, art, culture and fashion, France has long captured the imaginations of travellers from across the globe.

Around 90 to 100 million people visit France each year.

• In 2019, France welcomed 90.91 million international visitors.
• Visitor numbers declined to 41.68 million in 2020 due to the coronavirus pandemic. However, France saw a slight recovery in 2021 with 48.4 million international visitors.
• This trend continued to rise in 2022 resulting in 93.2 million international visitors, a 124% increase compared to 2020 and 3% higher than 2019 (pre-pandemic).
• In 2023, over 100 million tourists travelled to France, marking a 26% increase from 2022¹.

How many tourists are expected to visit France in 2024?

• International visits to France were expected to reach a new record of over 100 million in 2024, largely influenced by the 2024 Paris Olympics.
• Previously recorded highs include 100 million visits in 2023and 90.91 million in 2019.

• Read more: Paris Olympics 2024 and France Tourism Statistics 2024

How many tourists stayed overnight in France in 2024?

A total of 411.26 million nights were spent at tourist accommodation establishments in France from January to October 2024.

This figure includes domestic and international visitor nights. Data for November and December is not yet available.

• Domestic visitors accounted for 284.66 million nights, which made up approximately 69.2% of the total nights spent.
• International visitors contributed 126.61 million nights, representing 30.8% of the total.

How many people visited France in 2023?

• Over 100 million people visited France in 2023, marking a 26% increase compared to the 79.4 million visitors in 2022 and an 11% rise from the pre-pandemic record of 90.9 million visitors in 2019.

How many people visited France in 2022?

• In 2022, over 93.2 million tourists visited France, indicating a strong rebound from pandemic years and a 3% increase compared to the 2019 peak.

• The United Kingdom has traditionally been the leading source of tourists to France. In 2018, the number of tourists from the United Kingdom amounted to 13 million, followed closely by Germany with 12.3 million and Belgium with 11.6 million².

• With over 85 million visitors every year, France has been consistently ranked as the top global tourist destination for over 30 years.

France saw a big drop in international arrivals in 2020 and 2021 due to global travel restrictions.

• International arrivals in France dropped to 41.68 million in 2020, a decrease of 54% from the previous year, before slightly recovering to 48.4 million visitors in 2021.
• Tourism’s contribution to GDP fell by 34% to EUR 114.5 billion.

France remains the world’s leading tourist destination, with over 100 million visitors in 2023, and reports say France will remain as the number one country until at least 2025.

In 2017, the top five most visited destinations in France were Disneyland Paris (14.86 million visitors), the Louvre Museum (8.02 million visitors), Versailles Palace (7.71 million visitors), the Eiffel Tower (6.2 million visitors), and the Pompidou Centre (3.38 million visitors).

• Disneyland Paris: Considered to be Europe’s leading tourist destination, it is also the driving force behind the urban and economic development of the Val-d’Europe conurbation.
• Louvre Museum: The Louvre is the largest museum in the world, and the glass pyramid marking its entrance has become a global symbol of priceless art.
• Versailles Palace: The Palace of Versailles was the principal residence of the French kings from the time of Louis XIV to Louis XVI. Embellished by several generations of architects, sculptors, decorators, and landscape architects, it provided Europe with a model of the ideal royal residence for over a century.
• The Eiffel Tower: Located in the 7th arrondissement, this immense iron monument, a true architectural and technical feat, is now the symbol of Paris and France.
• Pompidou Centre: Primarily a museum and centre for the visual arts of the 20th and 21st centuries, the Pompidou Centre houses many separate services and activities.

Before the unprecedented events of 2020, 2019 marked a significant year for outbound tourism.

• Over 30.4 million French residents travelled internationally in 2019, contributing $50.51 billion to the global tourism industry.
• French residents primarily visited other European countries like Spain (6.2 million visits), Italy (3.8 million visits), Belgium (2 million visits), Portugal (1.9 million visits), and Germany (1.5 million visits).

The purposes varied widely, encompassing leisure vacations, business trips, visits to friends and relatives, and participation in cultural or educational programs.