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People cool off in the water at the Saint-Martin Canal in Paris, France, on July 12 (local time) / Photo by AP via Yonhap News Agency

France's tourism industry is reported to be thriving this summer. Amid forecasts that performance would decline due to increased fuel surcharges in the wake of the recent Middle East conflict, the industry instead appears to be enjoying a boom.

Serge Papin, France's Minister Delegate for Small and Medium Enterprises, Trade, and Tourism, expressed optimism in an interview with local media outlet RTL on July 21 (local time), stating, "All indicators for the tourism industry are showing a green light," and adding, "This summer's tourism performance will surpass last year's."

Based on flight booking and ticketing data for this summer, Minister Papin explained that South Korean tourists visiting France increased by about 16 percent compared to the same period last year, while Mexican visitors rose by about 21 percent and Australians by about 20 percent.

He noted that accommodation bookings and flight tickets have turned upward, saying, "Through the end of September, bookings for accommodation in France—ranging from campsites to luxury hotels—are expected to increase by 1 to 5 percent year-on-year for both domestic and international visitors."

He also analyzed that "Notre-Dame Cathedral, which reopened after five years of work following a fire, and the recently added Frozen-themed land at Disneyland Paris appear to be driving the influx of tourists."

Notre-Dame Cathedral, which suffered a fire during renovation work in 2019, completed restoration and reopened in December 2024. Meanwhile, the Frozen area at Disneyland Paris, which opened at the end of March, drew tens of thousands of visitors on its opening day, prompting entry restrictions.

In addition to the cathedral and Disneyland, various international events held in France were also identified as contributing to tourism growth. Minister Papin explained, "The Tour de France, the world's most prestigious road cycling race, and pop star Celine Dion's Paris concert held for the first time in four years also contributed to revitalizing tourism."

Tourism experts reported that consumers had adopted a wait-and-see attitude due to rising prices amid an unstable international situation, causing accommodation bookings to decline from March through early June this year, but that trend has now reversed. They also projected an increase in domestic tourists.

Earlier this month, the French Tour Operators Association (SETO) expected tourism performance this summer to be weaker than last year. However, as the peak season began, it explained that travelers are increasing, particularly around mid-altitude mountainous regions that are relatively cool due to higher elevation.

Last year, about 102 million foreign tourists visited France, up from about 100 million two years ago. France has ranked first as the world's most visited country by international tourists for 30 consecutive years in World Tourism Organization statistics.

France is reported to have earned approximately 77.5 billion euros (about 131 trillion KRW) in tourism revenue last year. This accounts for more than 10 percent of its gross domestic product (GDP) that year.

Minister Papin previewed, "Our goal is to achieve 100 billion euros (about 169 trillion KRW) in tourism revenue by 2030," adding, "To achieve this, we will develop products that allow visitors to stay in France longer."

                                                                                                           Lim Yu-jeong