Skip to main content
European Union flag
EU Tourism Platform

France falls behind in global tourism revenue rankings

News

11 July 2025

France falls behind in global tourism revenue rankings

Adventure tourism

Coastal, maritime and inland water tourism

Cultural tourism

+41 more

Login / create an account to be able to react

An illustrative photo of people walking between buildings.

In 2024, France fell to fourth place in global tourism revenue with EUR 71 billion, significantly behind Spain, due to lower tourist spending and shorter stays, prompting calls for improved strategies and greater local engagement.

Publishing org

TourMaG

Topics
Geographical descriptors

France

Organisation Type

Academic / Research and VET Institutions

Company with 250 or more employees

Consumer Organisations

Cultural and Heritage Organisations

Destination Management & Marketing Organisations

EU Institutions

Financial Institutions and Investors

Industry Associations and Chambers of Commerce

International Organisations

Local Authorities

Media / Journalist Organisations

National authorities

Networks and Federations / Confederations

NGOs / Non-profits

Regional Authorities

SMEs (a company with less than 250 employees)

Trade Unions

  • Specific types of tourism

    • Adventure tourism

    • Coastal, maritime and inland water tourism

    • Cultural tourism

    • Ecotourism

    • Education tourism

    • Festival tourism

    • Gastronomy tourism

    • Health and medical tourism

    • MICE tourism

    • Mountain tourism

    • Religious tourism

    • Rural tourism

    • Sports tourism

    • Urban/city tourism

    • Wellness tourism

  • Transition Pathway Strategic Areas

    • Changes in tourism demand and opportunities

    • Coordinated information on travelling

    • Improving statistics and indicators

  • Business activities

    • Activities of amusement parks and theme parks

    • Activities of associations and other organisations supporting tourism

    • Air passenger transport

    • Camping grounds, recreational vehicle parks and trailer parks

    • Events catering and other food services

    • Festivals, cultural and entertainment activities

    • Gardens and nature reserves activities

    • Holiday Housing / Apartments and other short stay accommodation

    • Hotel and similar accommodation

    • Mobile beverage services

    • Mobile food services

    • Museums

    • Operation of historical sites

    • Other

    • Other accommodation

    • Other amusement and recreation activities

    • Other food and beverage services

    • Other holiday reservation services

    • Other tourism transportation activities

    • Rail Passenger transport

    • Recreational and sport activities

    • Restaurants, cafes and bars (Food and Beverage serving activities)

    • Road passenger transport

    • Tour operator activities

    • Travel agency activities

    • Water (sea, coastal and inland) passenger transport

Share

France is no longer the top global destination in terms of tourism revenue. In 2024, the country generated EUR 71 billion, placing it fourth worldwide—significantly behind Spain, which recorded EUR 126 billion.

According to TourMaG, Dominique Marcel, President of Alliance France Tourisme, discussed this development on the programme L'invité éco on France Info. Marcel noted that the average expenditure per tourist in France remains relatively low, partly due to shorter stays. He emphasised the need for improved statistical tools, the adoption of more sustainable tourism practices, and greater involvement from local authorities to enhance the sector’s performance.

For further information, please refer to the link provided on the left-hand side of the platform (The original piece available only in French). 

#Tourism indicators #Tourism development #Destination management

No votes yet

Comments (0)

Related content

See also

-
Comment
0
  • News
  • 27 Sep 2024

Global tourism rebounds to 96% of pre-pandemic levels by July 2024

By July 2024, international tourism has recovered to 96% of pre-pandemic levels, driven by strong demand in Europe and the reopening of markets in Asia...
Categories
Coastal, maritime and inland water tourism Cultural tourism Ecotourism +40 more
-
Comment
0
  • News
  • 02 Dec 2024

Sign-up for the Sustainable EU Tourism Twinning Workshop

The Sustainable EU Tourism project has entered its next phase, the “DMO Twinning Journey”. Its aim is to bring together DMOs with similar challenges and...
Categories
Coastal, maritime and inland water tourism Cultural tourism Ecotourism +64 more
-
Comment
0
  • News
  • 31 Mar 2025

Help Shape the Future of EU Tourism – Join the Survey Now!

We are excited to invite you to participate in an online survey running aimed at gathering valuable insights from tourism stakeholders across the EU27 regarding...
Categories
Coastal, maritime and inland water tourism Cultural tourism Ecotourism +64 more