From the perspective of air connections, France registered a 2.5% increase in international air arrivals between January and June, with particularly strong growth from Sweden (16.6%) and Denmark (16.2%). Beyond Europe, arrivals rose by 30% from Australia, 9.35% from Canada, 2.85% from China, and 2% from the United States. This notable increase in visitor numbers was also reflected in the balance of payments, with tourism contributing positively by €11.8 billion, a 14.9% increase compared to the first six months of the previous year.
These figures reinforce the French government’s vision that the country is on the right path to achieve its ambitious goal: generating €100 billion in annual tourism revenue by 2030. This objective is fueled by the strong performance of the first semester and the €71 billion recorded in 2024 as a whole. Additionally, forecasts anticipate further growth of 7.7% in air arrivals between September and November.
To put these figures in context, 2024 was already a record-breaking year for France: the country welcomed more than 100 million international tourists—an increase of about 2 million compared to the previous year—and achieved revenues of €71 billion, representing a 12% rise over 2023. Despite holding the title of the world’s most visited destination, France lags behind countries such as Spain and the United States in revenue per visitor, underscoring a key market challenge: converting high visitor numbers into higher spending per stay.
This situation presents a paradox. France receives more visitors than any other country, yet its economic performance ranks only third or fourth in global tourism revenue, far behind Spain, which reached €126 billion despite welcoming fewer tourists. Analysts attribute this gap to shorter stays, high percentages of transient visitors, and lower daily spending, particularly in Paris.
To close this gap, experts and authorities emphasize the need to diversify destinations by promoting rural and cultural tourism in regions beyond major cities, as well as fostering higher value-added experiences such as wine tourism, gastronomy, and luxury travel.
The first half of 2025 thus marks a clear period of momentum for French tourism, both in visitor arrivals and revenue. The data points to a powerful and sustained recovery, while the country continues working to optimize the economic value of each visit. Backed by record figures and with a focus on regional strategies and higher visitor spending, France is firmly positioning itself to consolidate its global leadership in tourism by 2030.
