France
France
Travellers from France made 37.9 million outbound visits in 2024, with a total international tourism expenditure of US$54.0 billion.
In 2023, the UK welcomed 3.2 million visits from France. During the travellers’ visits, their total expenditure was a record £1.6 billion, with an average spend of £515 per visit.
Visitor characteristics
- 45% of all visits to the UK from France are made by those aged 25 to 44.
- Almost three-in-five holiday visitors from France (excluding British nationals) are making a repeat trip to Britain (within ten years).
- 33% of visitors from France seeing friends and relatives (VFR) visitors in the UK are British nationals.
- 98% of departing visitors (excluding British nationals) are ‘likely’ or ‘extremely likely’ to recommend a visit to Britain.
Popular activities for this market
Dining in a restaurant.
Sightseeing of famous buildings/monuments.
Going shopping.
For further information on activities and experiences for this market, please click here.
Explore the inbound data in full
Use our visualisations to see data from this market in greater depth and clarity. Compare annual statistics, and filter by age group, gender, trip duration and more. It includes seasonality, trip purpose and regional spread of visitors to UK destinations. These data are based on the International Passenger Survey, conducted by the Office for National Statistics (ONS).
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Perceptions of Britain in the French market
- The UK’s ranking from France was tenth out of 50 nations in the 2024 Anholt Nation Brands Index.
- The UK was ranked fourth for contemporary culture and culture in general. It was ranked fifth for sports, historic buildings and vibrant city life/urban attractions.
- Activities that appeal to potential French visitors include ‘riding the scenic ‘Hogwarts Express’ (Harry Potter train) through the Scottish Highlands’, ‘taking a canal boat tour through the waterways of England’, ‘spotting wildlife in the Scottish Highlands’, ‘going on a food tour of one of London’s best foodie markets’ and ‘visiting Windsor Castle’ (NBI, 2019).
Global context
Top-level statistics relating to tourism expenditure and popular destinations for this market. For greater detail on inbound tourism flows from this market to the UK, see our data visualisations.
| Measure | 2024 |
| International tourism expenditure (US$bn) | 54.04 |
| Global rank for international tourism expenditure | 5 |
| Number of outbound visits (m) | 37.9 |
| Most visited destination | Spain |
Caring for visitors
- When possible the French are keen to have information provided in their own language when in Britain.
- They prefer to stay in mid-range accommodation including bed and breakfasts, with en suite facilities. Country house hotels are popular in France, and a good benchmark for the value-for-money levels expected.
- Youth travellers prefer to opt for hostels or university accommodation or shared rentals, as they tend to be more price-sensitive.
- Expectation levels for standards and services are high and any issues should be resolved promptly.
- Food is important to the French; they will want to try an afternoon tea, going to the pub, have a fish & chips, visit food markets and street food halls.
- Value for money is important, and overall Britain is an expensive destination so they will watch their budget.
- The French usually comment positively on the welcome, politeness and orderly manner in Britain. A nice welcome and a friendly bonjour go a long way.
The leisure and travel trade
- The trade structure is quite complex and fragmented, composed of tour operators (FIT, Coach and School Groups) and travel agencies (online and offline), with associations and social clubs playing an important role too.
- The majority of tour operators are based in Paris, but many coach operators are in the regions as are school groups operators.
- FIT travellers and short-breakers travel year-round to Britain, while coach groups tend to be concentrated in May-June and September. School groups travel mostly in the Spring.
Access to Britain from France
The key routes and transport modes that connect this market with the UK.
| Measure | 2024 |
| Weekly aircraft departures | 851 |
| Weekly seat capacity | 143,496 |
| Airports with direct routes in France | 33 |
| Airports with direct routes in Britain | 21 |
| Eurostar trains per day from Paris | 14 |
| Weekly ferry crossings | 642 |
| Weekly Eurotunnel Shuttles | Up to 4 crossings per hour, 24 hours a day |
- More than half of visits from France come via plane, 34% chose transport through the Channel Tunnel and 14% via sea (IPS 2023).
- Airline seat capacity is highly seasonal, but is largely shaped by demand for travel to France by holidaying Britons.
- In 2024, 63% of seat capacity was on direct flights from France to London. Routes with the highest capacity are those operating on the Paris to London corridor.
- Following the COVID-19 pandemic, scheduled seat capacity on non-stop flights from France to the UK has recovered to 99% of 2019 levels in 2024.
To see entry requirements for visitors to the UK from France click here.
To see rates for Air Passenger Duty charged on passengers flying to France from the UK click here.
Further resources
France Market Profile
Learn more about doing business with France, plus its event agencies and media.
Where visitors from France to the UK reside in their own country.xlsx
Where visitors from France to the UK reside in their own country
How we source this information
We work with a number of data sources to provide a rich and insightful picture of our key inbound source markets. This includes, but is not limited to, data provided by Oxford Economics, the UNWTO, Apex, Anholt-Ipsos Nation Brands Index and from our own surveys and ad-hoc research. The largest share of these data comes from the International Passenger Survey (IPS) by the ONS.
Visit our About the International Passenger Survey page for more information on how this data is collected and analysed.
