Despite a tense international context, France anticipates an increase in tourist reservations for summer 2026, driven by the diversity of its offer and the dynamics of certain international clienteles.
Summer 2026 is looking good in France, despite tourists’ wait-and-see attitude against a backdrop of geopolitical tensions, Serge Papin, Minister of SMEs, Commerce, Crafts, Tourism and Purchasing Power, told AFP. While professionals in the sector reported a decline in reservations from March to the beginning of June, due in particular to the war in the Middle East and the resulting price increases, the trend is now increasing, said the minister during an interview with AFP on Monday. “The indicators are rather green on all registers, both geographical, that is to say all the locations, and at the same time, on all customer profiles, from the campsite to the palace,” he says.
In detail, reservations for accommodation in France by the end of September are expected to grow between 1% and 5% year-on-year for French and international visitors, according to the minister. “There are dynamic international clienteles, such as +16% South Koreans, +21% Mexicans and +20% Australians,” he adds. For Serge Papin, last minute reservations can “be a constraint or an opportunity. We realize that waiting and waiting, ultimately, benefits us.”
A diversified offering and renewed assets
The minister highlights “an undeniable Notre-Dame effect” since the reopening of the cathedral at the end of 2024, after five years of work, or the extension of Disneyland Paris with the recent opening of the world of Frozen. “France is also the country which has the most events of international notoriety,” he says, citing in particular the Tour de France or the Celine Dion concerts, planned for September-October.
In 2025, France welcomed 102 million international visitors, compared to 100 million in 2024, generating record revenues of 77.5 billion euros. “The ambition is to reach 100 billion in revenue in 2030,” underlines the minister, via a diversified offer, which allows longer stays.
At the beginning of July, the Union of Tour Operating Companies (Seto) anticipated a worse summer of 2026 than last year. However, according to the union, France was the only destination seeing the number of travelers increase, boosted in particular by the mid-mountains with their lower temperatures.
