This is the country that will become the most visited in the world by 2025

Romantic streets of Paris and charming Normandy. Prestigious mansions in the salt flats of the Loire River and the sophisticated French Riviera. There are countless reasons to visit France, so it is not surprising that it could become the most visited country on the planet by 2025.

According to GlobalData, 93.7 million international travelers are expected to enter the country every year by 2025. Spain competed with France for the tourist primacy in Europe, which even overtook its neighbor in 2021, but judging by the trends, France is well on its way to regaining its tourist reputation before the pandemic with an expected 12.1 percent growth in visits in the period 2022-2025 . Tourism growth in Spain is expected to increase to 89.5 million by 2025.

"Visit to France and Spain will remain strong in the coming years, as festivals, culture and gastronomy will strongly attract tourists," believes Hannah Free, GlobalData travel and tourism analyst. As he explains, both countries have the most to offer visitors, with their unique culture, cuisine and atmosphere. Both France and Spain are relatively large countries, with diverse landscapes and unique coastlines.

This is exactly the reason why France attracts millions of tourists every year. As a destination, France offers something for everyone - history, city, sea, mountains, beaches, gastronomy and excellent wines.

France's tourism prospects are no surprise, as President Emmanuel Macron already presented a plan in 2021 that would consolidate France as the world's leading tourist country.

"With the Destination France plan, the French government intends to set a real roadmap for the development and transformation of the tourism sector over the next 10 years," said Anne-Laure Tuncer, director of the national tourism board Atout France USA. Special emphasis is placed on sustainability, as the French strive to become the best sustainable destination by 2030.

Bordeaux

A good example is Bordeaux, which has proven to be much more than just a wine destination. The city's four-line tram system is made up of vehicles that are 98 percent recyclable. A huge old submarine base has been turned into the world's largest projection art museum at Les Bassins des Lumières, and Darwin's ecosystem is a unique mixed-use community with a green mindset, including a skate park, organic dining, bakery and more.

Lyon

Lyon also deserves praise for its smart approach to tourism. The 2,000-year-old city at the confluence of the Rhône and Saone rivers has thus received accolades for its accessibility, with a fully flexible public transport network and museums that offer flexible tours. Lyon's airport is one of a handful of carbon-neutral ones, and the city's gastronomic flair comes from the mysterious Chef Factory school that produces world-class chefs - Bouchons Lyonnais.

With unusual and unique forward-looking offers, visitors continue to yearn to visit France. Accordingly, the leading national airline Air France is also preparing for growth. "In 2023, we will increase capacity by 15 percent compared to the average of the last 5 years (by 5 percent compared to 2022)," the French airline emphasizes.

The leading destination for sustainable travel

Increased accessibility will help drive growth as the country continues to lead by example, not only with accessibility, but also with thoughtful visitor attraction. "The objective is to become a leading destination for sustainable travel, so that French tourism becomes a sector that promotes excellence, growth and employment, based on a higher quality, sustainable and flexible model, in line with the new expectations of France, especially in terms of the ecological transition," the director of the national tourist board Atout France also points out.