Tourism
France is the world's most visited country. Track the massive seasonality, the COVID recovery, and what ~90 million annual visitors mean for the economy.
Tourist nights — 2025-12
22.7M nights
The seasonality is extreme: the peak was 91.2M nights in 2025-08, vs just 7.3M in 2021-01. Tourism accounts for about 8% of French GDP and supports ~2 million jobs.
Tourist Nights Over Time
Total nights spent in hotels, holiday accommodation, and camping grounds per month. The seasonality is extreme: ~20 million nights in January vs 90+ million in August. Tourism accounts for about 8% of French GDP.
Why Tourism Defines France
France attracts roughly 90 million international visitors per year — more than any other country on Earth (ahead of Spain and the US). Paris alone draws ~30 million. Tourism directly and indirectly supports about 2 million jobs and generates roughly €60 billion in revenue. The sector is heavily seasonal: the Côte d'Azur, Alps, and Atlantic coast drive a massive summer peak, while Paris provides a steadier year-round flow. The COVID-19 crash in 2020 (April: ~1 million nights, down from ~45 million) was the worst shock in modern French tourism history, but recovery has been remarkably fast.