International travel receipts in France 2006-2020

Due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, 2020 was a year unlike any other. As a result of regulations put in place to slow the spread of the virus, there was a significant drop in global travel and subsequently, international tourism receipts. According to the source, inbound tourism receipts in France amounted to 32.8 billion U.S. dollars in 2020, nearly halving over the previous year.

Decline in French inbound tourism

As a result of these travel restrictions and containment measures, the accommodation sector in France was faced with an almost complete absence of international tourists in 2020. During the high season, the overnight stays in accommodation establishments in France were predominantly made by domestic tourists. Meanwhile, only around 27 million nights were spent in paid accommodation establishments by inbound tourists.

COVID-19’s impact on travel and tourism industry in France

France was one of the countries with the highest tourism revenue loss due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic worldwide between January and October 2020. With approximately 42 billion U.S. dollars lost over that period, it suffered the worst tourism loss worldwide after the United States and Spain. Looking at the total contribution of travel and tourism to GDP in selected countries, figures were almost halved in France. In 2020, the contribution of the travel and tourism industry to the French GDP amounted to 123.2 billion U.S. dollars, comparatively, this figure was 240.5 billion U.S. dollars the year before.