France welcomed 100 million foreign tourists last year

“These figures confirm that we remain the world’s number one tourist destination, but we must take the next step and become the number one destination for sustainable tourism,”

the statement quoted Minister Nathalie Delattre as saying.

France welcomed 2 million more foreign visitors last year than in 2023.

The statement indicated that the outlook for the first quarter of this year is very good. The number of international flights to the country is expected to increase by 10 percent in the first quarter compared to 2024, with US visitors up 15 percent, Brazilian and Indian visitors up 7 percent, and Chinese tourists up 16 percent.

Paris hotel occupancy is forecast to rise 7 percent in January and 4 percent in February compared to the previous year.

International tourism receipts rose 12 percent last year compared to 2023, thanks to visitors from Belgium, Britain, Germany, Switzerland and the United States. Asian tourists have also returned to France, but the number of Chinese guests is still 60 percent lower than before the coronavirus pandemic. The number of Japanese visitors is 30 percent lower than in 2019.