Last-minute travel and increased interest in mountainous and cooler regions were among the main trends during the summer tourist season in France, which generally withstood the uncertainty caused by the international situation and extreme weather conditions, Agence France-Presse reported, BTA reported.
The season is shaping up to be better than expected in the spring, when tensions in the Middle East led to a drop in bookings.
Summer is “very good“ after an equally strong season in 2025, said French Minister of Small and Medium-sized Enterprises, Trade, Crafts, Tourism and Purchasing Power Serge Papin.
“We will perform at least as well, and maybe even better“, he said before the publication of the final figures, expected in mid-September.
Tourism sector representatives are more cautious in their assessments, but also take into account the resilience of the market.
“The summer has shown remarkable resilience in a period when we could have feared problems with oil, the political situation and high prices“, said Dominique Marcel, president of the French Tourism Alliance (Alliance France Tourisme), which brings together major companies in the sector.
According to Patrick Karadek, president of the Syndicate of Organized Tour Companies (Seto), the season is likely to end with a drop of around 5 percent fewer trips for the period from May 1 to October 31 compared to last year.
“Is this catastrophic? No. In April, we would have immediately accepted such a result if they had offered it to us“, he commented.
Both foreign visitors and French people who preferred to vacation in their own country contributed to the good performance. According to data from the “Airbnb“ platform, 70 percent of reservations by French tourists were for destinations in France compared to 65 percent in 2025.
Uncertainty about the weather and the international situation has also encouraged last-minute reservations.
The number of foreign tourists has also increased, especially visitors from the United States, mainly in Paris and the Côte d'Azur, said Didier Arino, CEO of the consultancy “Protourism“ (Protourisme).
The heatwaves have not led to a significant outflow of tourists from southern France, with the exception of some areas affected by fires, including the Gironde department. At the same time, cooler destinations have attracted more interest.
Mountain resorts are among the “most profitable of the summer season”, with occupancy up 2.3 percentage points year-on-year, according to data from the National Federation of Tourist Residences (FNRT). Significant growth in occupancy was also recorded on the English Channel coast.
In 2025, France maintained its position as the most visited country in the world with 102 million foreign tourists, although its lead over Spain narrowed. Spain welcomed 97 million foreign visitors.