France welcomed no less than 102 million visitors in 2025, but it is in Spain that tourists spend the most.

France, which welcomed 102 million foreign visitors in 2025, remains the world's leading destination, but faced with competition from Spain, where tourists spend much more, the government wants to encourage travelers to extend their stays.

In the wake of the good health of global tourism, which had a record year in 2025 with approximately 1.52 billion people travelling abroad, according to UN Tourism, France received 2 million more tourists than in 2024. It retains its status as "most visited country in the world", according to the Ministry of Tourism, but the gap is narrowing with Spain, which claimed 97 million foreign visitors in 2025.

For Dominique Marcel, president of the Alliance France Tourisme, "this approach based on millions of visitors" doesn't "make much sense when you consider that France is a transit country," he told AFP. "What matters is measuring the average length of stay, the level of spending, the real economic impact, and from this perspective, whatever people say, we are not the world leader," Marcel noted. This is because foreign tourists who choose Spain spend more than those who favor France.

Seven days in Spain versus five days in France

In January, Spain claimed to have €135 billion in international tourism revenue by 2025. This figure is disputed by Atout France, the agency that promotes French tourism abroad. Atout France estimates the figure at around €105 billion, arguing that Spain has a broader definition of spending. In France, these revenues increased by 9% year-on-year to reach €77.5 billion in 2025, "a record level," with the gap "stabilizing" with Spain, the Ministry noted with satisfaction.

“Spain is primarily a destination country; we are a transit country,” Tourism Minister Serge Papin also noted at a press conference. “But we must also improve our offerings and encourage people to stay in our country longer,” he added, reiterating the goal of €100 billion in revenue by 2030.

On average, a foreign tourist stays nearly seven days in Spain, according to local authorities, compared to "five days" in France, according to the director general of Atout France, Adam Oubuih, who also calls for a "move upmarket" to increase revenue. "The characteristic of Spain is that it concentrates tourism earlier in the year (...) with very large volumes of offers in Andalusia, the Canary Islands, the Balearic Islands, with air hubs," which drives down prices and offers, explained Christian Mantei, president of Atout France.

Tourist spending on the rise

On a positive note, the average spending of an international tourist during their stay in France increased by 7% in 2025, reaching €760. To reduce the gap, Mr. Papin is focusing on "diversifying tourism sectors," particularly by continuing the development of agritourism, where Spain and Italy are leading examples, and wine tourism. He also highlighted the sector's need for labor, with 61,000 jobs currently unfilled, largely due to a lack of housing for seasonal workers. These needs are expected to grow further, with "projected requirements of 350,000 jobs" within the next three to five years.

Outside Europe, hotels were much more frequented by American tourists (+17%), while Asian clientele, although increasing, remained below the levels observed before the Covid-19 pandemic, particularly China.

Although France remains the top destination for the French, the appeal of the country has slightly declined (down 5% in overnight stays) in favor of travel outside its borders (+4%), particularly around the Mediterranean.