World’s most visited country with 102million tourists wants more Brits | Europe | Travel
The country combines beautiful beaches and fascinating city breaks (Image: Getty)
The world’s most visited country has been revealed for 2025, and you may be surprised to hear that it beat both Spain and the USA for tourist numbers.
With a wealth of coastal resorts, cultural and historic cities, places to ski, and lake and mountain scenery, it’s no surprise that the country gets so many visitors, including over nine million Brits every year. Its close proximity to the UK means it’s popular for day trips as well as longer stays.
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France wants to encourage more tourism (Image: Getty)
France received a record-breaking 102 million visitors in 2025, even beating its tourism numbers for 2024 when it hosted the Olympics in Paris.Over 743 million overnight stays were enjoyed across the country, and two-thirds of the foreign visitors were from other European countries.
The surge brought in tourism revenue of €77.5 billion, and the country aims to generate €100 billion from tourism by 2030. But while France is looking for ways to increase its visitor numbers, in second place is a country seeking to tackle the impact of tourism.
Spain took second place in the rankings with 96.8 million foreign visitors, just over 19 million coming from the UK alone, accounting for the majority of tourists. Spain is also popular with visitors from France and Germany. Despite having fewer visitors than France, Spain earned more from tourism, bringing in €105 billion in 2025.
Some Montmartre residents have been annoyed with increasing tourist numbers (Image: Getty)
However, while France has seen some rumblings of discontent from locals in heavily touristed areas such as Montmartre in Paris and the iconic island of Mont Saint Michel, it has avoided the widespread anti-tourism protests seen in Spanish hotspots like the Canary Islands and Balearic Islands.
Last year saw Montmartre residents complain about the ‘Disneyfication’ of the bohemian Paris neighbourhood. While some locals have taken to hanging banners from their balconies with slogans such as “Montmartre residents resisting.”, there are yet to be any large-scale protests in the streets.
France has long been a popular tourist destination for Brits thanks to its close proximity to the UK. Most flights from Britain clock in at under two hours, and the Dover to Calais ferry route takes roughly 90-minutes, making it a popular choice for day trippers.
A UK to France ferry route that was previously cancelled could also be revived this year. There are plans to run ferries from Rosyth in Edinburgh to Dunkirk again, after the service was withdrawn for passengers in 2010.
Dover to Calais ferries take just 90 minutes (Image: Getty)
Eurostar trains from London St Pancras International to Lille take just under 90 minutes, while services to Paris take around two-and-a-half hours. There’s also the Eurotunnel which runs from Folkestone to Calais taking just 35 minutes. It’s a faster alternative to the ferry and means you can take your car with you to explore the continent.
Some of the most popular tourist destinations include Paris, the historic beaches of Normandy, the glamorous French Riviera, and of course, Disneyland Paris, Europe’s most visited theme park.
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