2024-03-22 10:30:50
Tourism is doing well in France
With total spending of 63.5 billion euros made by foreign tourists over the year 2023, this key sector of the French economy is emerging from the crisis that has hit it since Covid-19 and is even establishing a new record. Expenditures actually increased by almost 12% compared to the previous year, according to data published by The echoes on March 22, 2024.
Data from Atout France and the Banque de France show that this dynamism in the sector is particularly driven by Belgian visitors, who spent more than 8 billion euros, closely followed by the British (7.2 billion), the Germans and the Swiss (6.5 billion euros each). The Chinese, often highlighted in the media, ultimately represent very little money, barely 1.2 billion euros in spending over the year.
« This is excellent news for tourism professionals who experienced terrible years during the health crisis », Commented the Minister of Tourism Olivia Grégoire. She recalls that the tourism sector is central in France, accounting for nearly 8% of the country’s GDP.
Tourism: France still beaten by Spain
Despite the good news in 2023, France is still not the first European country in which tourists spend their money. It is Spain which wins this prize, with 85 billion euros spent on its territory by foreigners in 2023. The appeal of Spain is confirmed, with spending up 19% over one year. But France remains the world’s leading country in terms of tourist flows, or in number of tourists.
While the return of Asian tourists, particularly Chinese, remains pending, France must nevertheless redouble its efforts to maintain its attractiveness in the face of competitors like Spain. Minister Olivia Grégoire insists on the need to evolve the French tourist offer, in particular by moving upmarket and adapting to new uses to achieve the objective of becoming the leading destination in sustainable tourism.
1711109470
#record #spending #foreigners #France