Despite varying weather conditions and inflation concerns, France is experiencing a positive outlook for its tourism industry, largely due to the influx of foreign visitors. However, there are signs

of a slowdown in domestic tourist numbers.

"With a smile, I just checked out an American couple, Californians on their honeymoon," Lydia Weber shared. Working at the Pigalle hotel in Paris, she noticed a surge of fellow Americans in the French capital this summer. Paris continues to be "a wonderful stop en route to Italy and Spain," she added. The strong US economy and the desire to return to normalcy after the Covid-19 pandemic are among the reasons for this increase.

"This year, we're observing a rise in international arrivals, which is boosting tourist numbers," stated Olivia Grégoire, the French Minister of Tourism, on Tuesday, August 29. She characterized it as "a very successful tourist season, in line with the summer of 2022." According to her ministry's data, if this trend holds, France is expected to surpass the €58 billion revenue mark achieved in 2022, reaching between €64 to €67 billion in earnings this year. Additionally, the country could host between 78 and 82 million international visitors, compared to 90 million in 2019.

 Apart from North Americans (comprising 16% of air arrivals in July), there was a notable increase in European visitors, particularly from the Netherlands and Germany, while the return of Asian tourists has been gradual. The ministry pointed out that while China's recovery is still behind, there has been accelerated progress since the beginning of the summer. Moreover, there has been a commendable performance from countries like Japan, South Korea, and India. Photo by Maria Eklind, Wikimedia commons.