In 2024, the year of the Olympic Games, France reached a record tourist attendance with 100 million international visitors and 71 billion euros in revenue. However, Spain continues to dominate in terms of revenue, despite lower tourist numbers.
A year of tourism marked by the Olympic Games
France welcomed 100 million international visitors in 2024, a historic figure, according to the Ministry of Tourism. This increase of two million compared to 2023 generated 71 billion euros in revenue, an increase of 12% over one year. This enthusiasm is partly attributable to the organization of the Olympic and Paralympic Games in Paris, a global event which attracted tourists from all over the world.
The main international customers having contributed to this performance are the Belgians, English, Germans, Swiss and Americans. The latter, benefiting from significant purchasing power, recorded a 5% increase in overnight stays, confirming their crucial role in the French tourism sector. At the same time, Asian customers, still affected by the effects of the pandemic, are showing a gradual return, but Chinese visitors remain 60% fewer than in 2019, while Japanese tourists show a drop of 30%.
Rental accommodation is emerging as a driver of this growth, with an increase of 16.4% in overnight stays. Ski resorts, favored by good snow conditions, also contributed to the tourist boom at the end of the year, reaching an occupancy rate of 85% for all commercial accommodation, an increase of three points compared to the previous year. previous year.
Spain, a model of profitability
Despite this success, France faces increased competition. Spain, with 94 million visitors in 2024, generated 126 billion euros in revenue, almost double that of France. In an interview with Figarothe French Minister of Tourism, Nathalie Delattre, highlighted this gap: “ Although France is still a world leader in this sector, we face very strong competition. »
-To reduce this gap, the minister expressed her ambition to make France the leading sustainable tourism destination. This project is part of a desire to attract visitors with high added value while responding to environmental issues.
The outlook for 2025 looks encouraging, with an expected increase in attendance from the first quarter. International air arrivals increased by 10%, notably thanks to American (+15%), Brazilian (+7%) and Chinese (+16%) visitors. These figures confirm the positive dynamics of the French tourism sector, despite persistent competitiveness challenges facing its European neighbors.
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