Tourism: Still driven by Paris 2024, France expects to be full this summer

The year 2025 is shaping up to be a great year for the French tourism sector . The indicators are already green for the first months of the year, and summer is shaping up to be just as good. These good figures are based on an increase in international attendance despite the geopolitical context and on an Olympic Games effect that is "still noticeable," according to the Ministry of Tourism on Monday, June 23.

"Despite a complex geopolitical context, international tourism remains very dynamic : at the end of April, revenue generated by foreign visitors since the beginning of the year reached 21.4 billion euros, an increase of 8 % compared to 2024," reveals a joint press release from the ministry and Atout France, the agency that promotes French tourism abroad.

The largest contributors since January have been Germans (+25%), Dutch (+24%), and Spanish (+15%). Conversely, revenue from the British has fallen by 18% over the first four months of the year.

For this summer, bookings are "significantly up," with rentals up 16% this summer, according to specialist platforms France Tourisme Observation and LightHouse. A 1.7% increase is also expected for overnight stays in outdoor accommodation for July and August. International air arrival forecasts "predict a 4.7 % increase for the period June-August 2025 compared to 2024 over the same period," according to France Tourisme Observation and ForwardKeys.

Visitors from Denmark, Sweden and Australia (+15%), Canada and China (+10%) will be more numerous in France this summer, as will Americans, to a lesser extent (+3%).

"We need to attract more tourists, but above all, we need them to spend more," he commented to the Echos , Tourism Minister Nathalie Delattre, believes that it is necessary to "work on our value strategy." "What are the priority markets of tomorrow to maximize international revenue without damaging our carbon footprint? […] How can we ensure that our offering remains differentiated in fierce international competition? This is what we are currently working on," she explained to the newspaper, as the first measures in this regard will be presented at the end of July.

Although international attendance is expected to increase, the Parisian season will nevertheless be "largely driven by domestic tourism," "stimulated in particular by the JOP [Olympic and Paralympic Games, editor's note] effect," according to the ministry, which is relying on a barometer from Les Entreprises du voyage-Orchestra.

According to this survey, "30 % of French people say they are more likely to take a tourist trip to Paris this summer with the memory of the 2024 Olympic atmosphere. The rate is slightly higher (33 %) for those who are planning a trip before the end of the year." " The effect of the Olympic Games remains palpable and fuels the desire to discover or rediscover France," the minister said, quoted in the press release.

However, price remains "the primary criterion guiding the choice of destination for the French (39 %), followed by climate, with 35 %, and 50 % of those surveyed intending to save on their holiday budget," the ministry emphasizes. Nearly two-thirds of French people plan to spend less than €1,000 per person this year, and nearly a third less than €500.