France is set to cement itself as the most visited country in the world, according to GlobalData, which estimates that the country will attract 93.7 million international travelers by 2025. GlobalData notes that this forecast will place the country ahead of competitor, Spain, which overtook France in 2021.
According to the latest report by GlobalData, ‘Tourism Destination Market Insight: Western Europe’, France held the title of the most visited country in the world prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, welcoming 88.1 million visitors in 2019. However, it was overtaken by Spain in 2021. Having attracted 66.6 million international visitors in 2022, France is now set to re-claim the title, with the number of international arrivals expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 12.1% between 2022 and 2025.
Hannah Free, Travel & Tourism Analyst at GlobalData, comments: “Alongside Italy and Spain, France represents a significant segment of the growth in Western Europe. The country is not only popular with travelers from Europe itself—especially the UK, Germany and Belgium—but it is also popular with visitors from further afield, including China and the United States. In fact, France is one of the top Western European destinations for US travelers.”
Spain received 26.3 million visitors in 2021, overtaking France to become the most visited Western European destination. By 2025, Spain is expected to attract 89.5 million international visitors (CAGR of 12.2% between 2022 and 2025).
One of France’s big advantages is its transportation.
Free adds: “One key transportation project in Western Europe is the Ultra Rapid Train line, which is being planned by the European Commission to improve connectivity between Lisbon in Portugal and Helsinki in Finland. The program involves the construction of an 8,000 km doubletrack high-speed railway network between Lisbon and Helsinki with a loop around the Baltic Sea.”
