From the United Kingdom to the United States, from China to Canada, and from Italy to India, the world votes with its feet, and in 2023 over 100 million international travelers cast their ballot for France, cementing its enduring status as the planet's most visited destination.
Key Takeaways
- France welcomed 100 million international tourists in 2023
- International tourist arrivals in France reached 90.9 million in 2019
- In 2022, France saw 77.3 million foreign visitors
- France domestic trips totaled 200 million in 2022
- Domestic tourists accounted for 60% of overnight stays in 2022
- French residents made 183 million trips in 2019
- Tourism GDP contribution 7.8% in 2022
- Tourism revenue €57 billion from internationals in 2019
- Total tourism turnover €200 billion in 2022
- Average tourist spend €700 per trip 2019
- Daily spend per international tourist €110 in 2022
- Total spending €68 billion internationals 2023
- Airbnb listings 500,000 in France
- Hotel rooms total 1.2 million nationwide
- Paris 150,000 hotel rooms available
France recovers strongly from COVID, breaking tourism records in 2023.
Accommodation
- Airbnb listings 500,000 in France
- Hotel rooms total 1.2 million nationwide
- Paris 150,000 hotel rooms available
- 5-star hotels 1,500 properties
- Occupancy peaked at 85% in July 2023
- Rural gites 50,000 establishments
- Chateaux hotels 2,500 options
- Campsites 8,000 sites with 1 million pitches
- Youth hostels 100 facilities 20,000 beds
- Riviera hotels 90% occupancy summer
- Alps lodges 40,000 beds for skiers
- Loire Valley B&Bs 5,000 properties
- Average room rate €120/night 2023
- RevPAR €85 in Paris 2023
- Sustainable hotels 20% of total
- New hotel openings 200/year
Accommodation Interpretation
France’s hospitality landscape is a wonderfully chaotic symphony of half a million Airbnbs serenading 1.2 million hotel rooms, where a traveler can bed down in anything from a five-star palace to a rural gite, proving that whether you seek a chateau, a campsite, or a Parisian pillow, the nation’s true genius lies in offering a splendid bed for every budget and whim.
Attractions
- Eiffel Tower visits 7 million annually
- Louvre Museum 10 million visitors 2023
- Versailles Palace 8 million visitors yearly
- Mont Saint-Michel 3 million visitors
- Arc de Triomphe 1.5 million climbs/year
- Notre-Dame expected 13 million post-rebuild
- French Riviera beaches 40 million visits
- Loire Castles 4 million visitors combined
- Provence lavender fields 2 million tourists
- Bordeaux wine tours 3 million participants
- Alps ski lifts 2 billion km skied yearly
- Corsica beaches 5 million swimmers
- D-Day beaches Normandy 2 million visitors
- Pont du Gard 1.4 million visitors
- Avignon Festival 150,000 attendees yearly
- Cannes Film Festival 40,000 professionals
- Michelin starred restaurants 600+ nationwide
- National parks 10 million hikers annually
- 60% tourists visit Paris first
- Cultural sites top preference 70%
- Nature tourism rising 25% since 2020
Attractions Interpretation
France's tourism tapestry weaves a story where 40 million seek sun on the Riviera, yet 70% still confess their first love is a cultural icon, proving that while the call of nature grows louder, the heart stubbornly remains a gallery.
Domestic Tourism
- France domestic trips totaled 200 million in 2022
- Domestic tourists accounted for 60% of overnight stays in 2022
- French residents made 183 million trips in 2019
- Domestic spending on tourism reached €100 billion in 2022
- 70% of French take at least one vacation yearly
- Rural areas saw 40 million domestic nights in 2022
- Campsites hosted 120 million domestic nights in 2022
- Seaside destinations popular with 45% of domestic tourists
- Mountains attract 30% of domestic vacationers
- Cities visited by 25% of domestic tourists annually
- 50 million domestic visits to national parks yearly
- French families average 2.5 trips per year
- Seniors represent 30% of domestic tourists
- Young adults (18-25) 20% of domestic travel
- Domestic air travel for tourism 15 million trips
- Train trips domestic tourism 100 million annually
- Car travel dominates 80% domestic tourism
- Rural domestic stays up 15% post-COVID
- Eco-tourism domestic 25% preference in 2023
- Paris region 30 million domestic visits yearly
- Provence domestic 15 million overnight stays
Domestic Tourism Interpretation
Despite the global allure of France, the numbers reveal an equally captivating domestic love affair, with the French ardently exploring their own countryside, coasts, and cities, proving that sometimes the greatest voyage is the one that starts at your own front door.
Economic Impact
- Tourism GDP contribution 7.8% in 2022
- Tourism revenue €57 billion from internationals in 2019
- Total tourism turnover €200 billion in 2022
- 2.5 million jobs in tourism sector 2023
- Hotel industry contributes €15 billion annually
- Restaurants tourism revenue €40 billion yearly
- Transport tourism €25 billion contribution
- Retail from tourists €30 billion in 2019
- Cultural sites generate €5 billion revenue
- Wine tourism €11 billion economic impact
- Ski industry €8 billion turnover yearly
- Cruise tourism €1.2 billion in 2023
- Events and congresses €10 billion
- Paris Olympics expected €10 billion boost 2024
- Tax revenue from tourism €20 billion annually
- Investment in tourism €5 billion yearly
- Multiplier effect 1.5 for tourism spending
- Regional tourism GDP 8% average
- Post-COVID recovery 95% in revenue 2023
- Sustainable tourism investment €2 billion
- Eiffel Tower tickets €100 million revenue yearly
- Louvre €50 million ticket sales annually
- Versailles €20 million from visitors
Economic Impact Interpretation
France’s economy would have a gaping beret-shaped hole without tourism, as it pours billions into everything from baguettes and Bordeaux to ski lifts and the Louvre, all while generating millions of jobs and tax revenues that make even the most stubborn Francophile nod in respect.
Tourist Spending
- Average tourist spend €700 per trip 2019
- Daily spend per international tourist €110 in 2022
- Total spending €68 billion internationals 2023
- Accommodation spend 30% of budget €210 avg
- Food and drink 25% €175 per trip
- Shopping 20% €140 average spend
- Transport costs €100 per tourist avg
- Leisure activities €80 per trip average
- Luxury goods spend €10 billion yearly
- Wine purchases €2.5 billion by tourists
- Paris shopping €15 billion tourist spend
- UK tourists spend €7 billion annually
- US tourists avg €1,200 per trip
- Chinese spend €2,000 avg per trip
- Summer peak spend up 20%
- Business tourists spend 50% more
- Families avg €1,500 per trip
- Solo travelers €600 average spend
- Hotel occupancy rate 70% average 2023
- Paris hotels avg €200/night 2023
- Total hotel revenue €18 billion 2022
- Campsites revenue €3 billion annually
Tourist Spending Interpretation
While France’s tourism industry artfully sustains itself on baguettes and Bordeaux, it’s the disciplined symphony of €68 billion—from €10 nightly campsites to €2,000-per-trip luxury shoppers—that truly keeps the lights on at the Louvre and the champagne bubbling.
Visitor Statistics
- France welcomed 100 million international tourists in 2023
- International tourist arrivals in France reached 90.9 million in 2019
- In 2022, France saw 77.3 million foreign visitors
- UK tourists to France numbered 18.5 million in 2019
- Germany sent 12.3 million tourists to France in 2019
- US visitors to France totaled 4.8 million in 2019
- Italy contributed 10.2 million tourists to France in 2019
- Spain sent 7.1 million tourists to France in 2019
- Belgium tourists numbered 9.8 million in France 2019
- Netherlands visitors to France were 8.4 million in 2019
- Switzerland sent 5.6 million tourists to France in 2019
- China tourists to France reached 1.5 million in 2019
- Canada visitors totaled 1.2 million in France 2019
- Japan sent 0.8 million tourists to France in 2019
- Australia contributed 0.6 million visitors in 2019
- Brazil tourists numbered 0.4 million to France 2019
- India sent 0.3 million tourists in 2019
- Russia visitors were 1.1 million in 2019
- Sweden contributed 2.1 million tourists in 2019
- Poland sent 1.8 million in 2019
- In 2023 Q1, arrivals grew 10% YoY
- Paris alone saw 19 million visitors in 2019
- Provence received 12 million tourists annually
- French Riviera had 10 million visitors in 2019
- Normandy tourism arrivals 7 million yearly
- Loire Valley saw 5 million visitors in 2019
- Bordeaux region 6 million tourists annually
- Alps ski resorts 50 million skier days/year
- Corsica welcomed 2.5 million visitors in 2019
- Brittany saw 8 million tourists in summer 2019
Visitor Statistics Interpretation
France, having mastered the art of looking effortless, casually recovered its throne as the world's top destination, hitting a staggering 100 million visitors in 2023, proving that while you can close the Louvre, you can't keep the world from wanting to see it.
Sources & References
- Reference 1ATOUT-FRANCEatout-france.frVisit source
- Reference 2STATISTAstatista.comVisit source
- Reference 3INSEEinsee.frVisit source
- Reference 4ONTITontit.frVisit source
- Reference 5ECec.europa.euVisit source
- Reference 6BANQUEDESTERRITOIRESbanquedesterritoires.frVisit source
- Reference 7UNWTOunwto.orgVisit source
- Reference 8CBScbs.nlVisit source
- Reference 9BFSbfs.admin.chVisit source
- Reference 10CEICDATAceicdata.comVisit source
- Reference 11JNTOjnto.go.jpVisit source
- Reference 12TRAtra.gov.auVisit source
- Reference 13GOVgov.brVisit source
- Reference 14TOURISMtourism.gov.inVisit source
- Reference 15TILLVAXTVERKETtillvaxtverket.seVisit source
- Reference 16STATstat.gov.plVisit source
- Reference 17ILEDEFRANCE-TOURISMEiledefrance-tourisme.comVisit source
- Reference 18PROVENCE-ALPES-COTEDAZURprovence-alpes-cotedazur.comVisit source
- Reference 19CRT-PACAcrt-paca.frVisit source
- Reference 20NORMANDIE-TOURISMEnormandie-tourisme.frVisit source
- Reference 21LOIREVALLEY-FRANCEloirevalley-france.co.ukVisit source
- Reference 22BORDEAUX-TOURISMEbordeaux-tourisme.comVisit source
- Reference 23FRANCE-MONTAGNESfrance-montagnes.comVisit source
- Reference 24VISIT-CORSICAvisit-corsica.comVisit source
- Reference 25BRITTANYTOURISMbrittanytourism.comVisit source
- Reference 26IPSOSipsos.comVisit source
- Reference 27FFCAMPINGffcamping.frVisit source
- Reference 28IFOPifop.comVisit source
- Reference 29DOMAINES-SKIABLES-DE-FRANCEdomaines-skiables-de-france.comVisit source
- Reference 30PARCSNATIONAUXparcsnationaux.frVisit source
- Reference 31SENIOR-VACANCESsenior-vacances.comVisit source
- Reference 32JEUNESjeunes.gouv.frVisit source
- Reference 33DGACdgac.gouv.frVisit source
- Reference 34SNCFsncf.comVisit source
- Reference 35ADEMEademe.frVisit source
- Reference 36GUIDE-HEBDOguide-hebdo.comVisit source
- Reference 37SNCF-RESEAUsncf-reseau.comVisit source
- Reference 38PROCOSprocos.frVisit source
- Reference 39CULTUREculture.gouv.frVisit source
- Reference 40VINSDEFRANCEvinsdefrance.comVisit source
- Reference 41CLIAclia.euVisit source
- Reference 42COMEXPOSIUMcomexposium.comVisit source
- Reference 43OLYMPIQUE2024olympique2024.frVisit source
- Reference 44FISCALITEfiscalite.gouv.frVisit source
- Reference 45BPIFRANCEbpifrance.frVisit source
- Reference 46BANKOFENGLANDbankofengland.co.ukVisit source
- Reference 47TOUREIFFELtoureiffel.parisVisit source
- Reference 48LOUVRElouvre.frVisit source
- Reference 49CHATEAUVERSAILLESchateauversailles.frVisit source
- Reference 50COMITECOLBERTcomitecolbert.comVisit source
- Reference 51PARISINFOparisinfo.comVisit source
- Reference 52HOTELNEWSNOWhotelnewsnow.comVisit source
- Reference 53FFCffc.frVisit source
- Reference 54NEWSnews.airbnb.comVisit source
- Reference 55RELAISCHATEAUXrelaischateaux.comVisit source
- Reference 56STRstr.comVisit source
- Reference 57GITES-DE-FRANCEgites-de-france.comVisit source
- Reference 58CHATEAUXHOTELSchateauxhotels.comVisit source
- Reference 59CAMPINGFRANCEcampingfrance.comVisit source
- Reference 60AUBERGESDEJEUNESSEaubergesdejeunesse.comVisit source
- Reference 61NICECOTEDAZURnicecotedazur.orgVisit source
- Reference 62BENCHMARKINTLbenchmarkintl.comVisit source
- Reference 63HOSPITALITYNEThospitalitynet.orgVisit source
- Reference 64HOSPITALITY-ONhospitality-on.comVisit source
- Reference 65ENen.chateauversailles.frVisit source
- Reference 66MONT-SAINT-MICHELmont-saint-michel.monuments-nationaux.frVisit source
- Reference 67PARIS-ARC-DE-TRIOMPHEparis-arc-de-triomphe.frVisit source
- Reference 68NOTREDAMEDEPARISnotredamedeparis.frVisit source
- Reference 69COTEDAZURFRANCEcotedazurfrance.frVisit source
- Reference 70CHATEAUXDELALOIREchateauxdelaloire.frVisit source
- Reference 71PROVENCEWEBprovenceweb.frVisit source
- Reference 72BORDEAUX-TOURISMbordeaux-tourism.co.ukVisit source
- Reference 73FRfr.corsicaVisit source
- Reference 74ENen.normandie-tourisme.frVisit source
- Reference 75PONTDUGARDpontdugard.frVisit source
- Reference 76FESTIVAL-AVIGNONfestival-avignon.comVisit source
- Reference 77FESTIVAL-CANNESfestival-cannes.comVisit source
- Reference 78GUIDEguide.michelin.comVisit source