The Data Is In: Europe's Most-Visited Country Is Full Of Tourists

Europe is hot, and not just when it comes to summer heatwaves. Tourism is booming on the continent, with international visitor numbers up nearly 6% in 2026. But France, especially, is seeing tourism increase this year. With over 102 million international visitors in 2025, France is the most visited country in Europe — and the world.

Of course, the news shouldn't be too surprising. France is full of iconic tourist attractions that first-time visitors must see. The Eiffel Tower and the Louvre in Paris, or the sunny French Riviera and the slopes in the Alps are but a few of the destinations bringing tourists into the country from around the world. There are the many attractions in Strasbourg worth a visit and the stunning destinations in France's Loire Valley to explore, too.

It's a smorgasbord of tourist delights in France, and despite having soaring tourism numbers, France continues to be welcoming toward visitors. While neighboring countries are seeing pushback against tourism in various forms of protest, the French people have remained fairly quiet about over-tourism concerns. According to Euronews, that's because France made sustainability part of its tourism groundwork years ago, and it's paying off today. The outlet credits the "Destination France Plan," which is a 10-year plan to improve visitor experiences while staying ecological and inclusive.

There are several reasons France is so attractive to tourists and why its infrastructure can handle it so well. Near the top of the list is the massive amount of money the French government earmarked to maintain and encourage responsible and greener travel. France's network of trains is at the forefront of that, according to Euronews. The outlet reports that in 2023, the country banned some domestic flight routes that could be completed by train in under 150 minutes. That move boosted train travel and may have helped encourage travelers to visit destinations outside the major cities.

That transportation network is also valuable for tourists passing through France on their way to other parts of Europe, which might explain why millions of Europeans in neighboring United Kingdom and Germany visit the country each year. While Paris is the top spot in France for tourists, bringing in more than 18 million international tourists in 2025, the country's geography provides ample opportunities for various experiences.

While the country continues to lay out the red carpet for visitors, it's important that tourists remember some of the unspoken etiquette rules when visiting France. Each region has its own tourist micro-culture and infrastructure to match, after all. It's a welcome relief to travelers to see that France has become a pocket of tourism bliss on a continent that travel writer and expert Rick Steves says is becoming more anti-tourist.