Leader of global tourism revenue, most visitors revealed

Spain generated €135 billion in tourism revenue last year, surpassing France despite receiving fewer visitors. Spain hosted 97 million international tourists, while France remained the world’s most visited country with a record 102 million arrivals, according to the French Ministry of Economy.

In addition to that, tourism revenue in France reached a historic €77.5 billion, up 9% from 2024 and 37% compared with pre-pandemic 2019. The French government aims to raise tourism earnings to €100 billion by 2030 as part of its long-term development strategy.

Germany and Belgium were the largest source markets for France, with 14.6 million visitors each, followed by the United Kingdom (13.1 million) and Switzerland (9 million). Arrivals from the United States rose 17%, alongside steady growth in Japanese tourism.

The publication explains that the revenue gap between Spain and France is largely due to differences in visitor patterns. Tourists to France often stay for shorter periods, using the country as a transit point to other Southern European destinations. Spain, in contrast, attracts longer stays and higher spending per visitor, supported by its beach resorts, entertainment options, and infrastructure investments.

As reported earlier, Kazakhstan led Central Asia in tourism growth to Azerbaijan.