Paris, France. US visits to France rose 17% in 2025 from the previous year, the French tourism ministry said, despite growing animosity between the Trump administration and the French government and a weaker dollar.
Record arrivals and higher spending
More than 5 million Americans visited France in 2025, Tourism Minister Serge Papin said, as the country hosted a record 102 million foreign tourists during the year. One hundred million foreigners visited in 2024, when Paris hosted the Olympics.
Papin said tourists spent 9% more in 2025, reaching 77.5 billion euros ($91.34 billion), as visitors opted for more upmarket hotels.
“France is a great tourist destination. Let’s be proud of it and, above all, let’s remain so,” Papin said. “France continues to attract, lure and make the entire world dream.”
Dollar weakness and political backdrop
The rise in US visitors came despite a weaker dollar, with the greenback falling more than 10% against the euro in 2025 after years of a highly beneficial exchange rate for Americans visiting the eurozone.
The increase in US tourism occurred as relations between the United States and Europe worsened. Since taking office, President Donald Trump and his team have escalated trade tension with the EU, threatened to annex Greenland, clashed with European governments over the Russia-Ukraine war and criticised EU digital regulation.
Outlook for 2026
It remains unclear whether the increase in US visitors will continue.
The European Travel Commission said it expected US visits to Europe to drop in 2026, which would be the first sign of a slowdown in the post-pandemic boom in American travel to Europe, driven by a strong US dollar and economic resilience in North America.
The commission said it expected any fall in US visitors to be offset by a rise in Chinese and Indian tourists, which it said should push international arrivals up 6.2% in 2026.
How do you think currency moves and political tensions will affect where Americans travel in 2026?
