France welcomed 98 million tourists in 2023 to retain its spot as the world’s most popular tourist destination – a position it has held consistently, outside the pandemic period, since 2016.
READ ALSO Six reasons why France is so popular with tourists
Spain came in second place with 94 million visitors – a 10 percent increase on the previous year.
But when it comes to spending – Spain takes the crown. Tourists in France spent €68.6 billion, according to the World Tourism Organisation, up from €58 billion in 2022.
Advertisement
Tourists in Spain, however, spent much more while they were there – €126 billion, up from €108 billion in the previous 12 months, the country’s Minister of Tourism, Jordi Hereu, said.
This might seem surprising since many parts of Spain are cheaper than France when it comes to costs like eating out in bars and restaurants, but it’s thought that the difference comes from the domestic tourists.
A significant part of French tourism is French tourists – the ‘staycation’ is a long-established concept in France and it’s very common for French families to take their summer holidays in a different part of France, perhaps decamping to the beach or the mountains for the month of August.
READ ALSO 14 reasons to visit France in 2025
In total, around 70 percent of French tourism is made up of domestic tourists – and they may spend less if they’re staying with friends, family or in their own holiday homes.
International comparisons on tourism numbers are always published with a one-year delay, but it looks like Spain’s visitor numbers have continued to grow.
In a report published at the beginning of December, trade association Mesa del Turismo had predicted Spain will welcome 95 million visitors in 2024, spending a total of €200 billion.
This isn’t totally unproblematic for Spain, as tension has been rising in recent months over housing shortages, with locals complaining they have been priced out of the market by tourists, even organising anti-tourism protests in some areas.
READ MORE: Have Spain’s anti-tourism protests turned nasty?
This post was originally published on here
