Tourism In France:

France remains the most attractive country for industrial investment in Europe and has retained its centuries long status as a world leader of art, science and philosophy. With some of the finest beaches in Europe, cities of great cultural interest such as Toulouse, Strasbourg, Bordeaux, Lyon and Paris, the country also consistently ranks as the top destination for tourism in the world, with millions of international visitors,
writes Rachel Smith.
 

For over three decades, France has been the most popular tourism destination on earth and the industry employs approximately 10.9% of the nation’s entire workforce. 89.4 million tourists visited France in 2024, according to the World Travel & Tourism Council, with tourism contributing approximately €254.7 billion to the economy and accounting for 9% of GDP. Paris as a city, hosts more visitors alone than entire countries, and is the third most visited city in the world. It has some of the world’s largest and renowned museums such as the Louvre, the Musée d’Orsay, the Musée de l’Orangerie. The Eiffel Tower is the most visited paid monument in the world and Disneyland Paris is Europe’s largest theme park.
 

France’s world renowned wineries, classical European architecture, and pristine Mediterranean beaches offer something unique for everyone, and France is home to an impressive 53 UNESCO World Heritage sites. The country is large, with much to explore. Northwest France is easily accessible for visitors from the UK and Europe, offering numerous coastal and inland tourist destinations with many attractions. This area of France includes Brittany, Normandy, and is essentially like a sunnier version of West England! The northeast of France includes Calais, Lille, Dunkirk, Valenciennes, Amiens and Strasbourg. You can access this region easiest from the south-east of England or Belgium. The heart of France is commonly referred to as the Île-de-France area, the most populous of the eighteen regions of France, which surrounds the nation’s famed capital city of Paris. Auvergne is a historical region in central France possessing scenic landscapes and distinct cultural heritage. It is primarily a rural, mountainous area that is very well-known for hiking and skiing. The most popular cities in France are Paris, Nice, Cannes, Corsica, Pyrenees, Champagne and the French Alps.
 

The south of Calais has small towns and a beautiful countryside to view, while the Champagne-Ardenne region is famous for its sparkling wines. Reims is the capital of the Champagne wine industry and the smaller town of Epernay, just fifteen miles south- is home to a lot of the most famous Champagne producers such as Moët & Chandon, (also known simply as Moët) and Perrier-Jouët, which produces approximately 3,000,000 bottles of vintage and non-vintage cuvée per year. France saw a record-breaking 100 million international visitors in 2024, originating mainly from Northern Europe and the United States.   EG