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FRANCE has maintained its position as the world’s most visited tourist destination. The country, which will host the 2024 Olympic Games, attracted 100 million international visitors last year, breaking the record.
According to the French Ministry of Tourism, the country’s international visitor numbers remained stable due to the recovery of global tourism after the pandemic. Global travel returned to pre-pandemic levels, with 1.4 billion people traveling abroad. In addition to France, Spain also reported record tourism figures.
Compared to the previous year, France welcomed two million more tourists in 2024, an increase of two percent compared to 2023. The tourism boom can be attributed to a number of factors, including the highly anticipated Paris Olympics during the summer months. The Paris Olympics helped drive interest in the destination.
France’s tourist arrivals were higher than Spain’s, which recorded 94 million international visitors. However, France’s total international tourism receipts were lower than Spain’s. France recorded revenues of 71 billion euros or IDR1,201 trillion, while Spain recorded higher tourism revenues of 126 billion euros or IDR2,132 trillion.
The French Ministry of Tourism acknowledged that they need to focus on increasing visitor spending and encouraging longer stays in order to compete more effectively with Spain. [sources/photo special]
