France recorded a significant rise in corporate travel in 2025, posting the strongest growth among major economies, according to data from UN Tourism Statistics.
The country saw a 53% increase in business visitors, ahead of Japan (+12.3%), the United States (+11.7%), and the United Kingdom (+5.6%).
Booking.com for Business cites figures showing that France welcomed an additional 11.6 million corporate travellers in absolute terms compared with 2024. This was more than three times the increase recorded in the US (+3.7 million), putting it far ahead of the UK, which gained just 365,000 additional business visitors.
The reasons behind France’s rise are varied. These include its strategic location at the heart of Europe, its excellent rail and air connections, its business-friendly infrastructure, the upgrades carried out ahead of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, and the government’s efforts to maintain the country’s position as a major economic player.
France has also benefited from the repositioning of financial services post-Brexit, growth in its technology sector, and the return of face-to-face meetings and networking events after years of disruption related to the pandemic. Although digital alternatives have multiplied, none of them can compete entirely with the charm of centuries-old towns and villages, cultural richness, French wines, luxury hospitality, and a touch of decorum.
A separate survey published last month ranked France first for European attractiveness for the seventh consecutive year, with 852 investment projects recorded in 2025, ahead of the UK (730) and Germany (548). The study tracks foreign investment projects as well as the perception of countries among international business leaders.
Beyond corporate travel, France also maintained its position as the world’s most visited country in 2025, welcoming 102 million international visitors, according to UN World Tourism Organisation data. It remained ahead of Spain (93.8 million), the United States (72.4 million) and Italy (60.6 million).
Although global tourism forecasts for 2026 have been revised downwards due to geopolitical tensions, flight disruptions, and rising costs, the sector is still expected to contribute $12 trillion to the global economy – representing 9.9% of global GDP – with the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) forecasting 3.2% growth.
Its April 2026 sentiment poll notes that “industry pessimism now outweighs optimism as broader geopolitical conflicts are increasingly shaping travel routes, safety considerations, and meeting decisions worldwide”. More than three-quarters (76%) of respondents said geopolitical tensions are having a moderate or significant impact on their organisation’s business travel and meetings decisions, while nearly three in ten now expect corporate travel volumes to fall in 2026.
Although the US remains the world leader in business travel expenditure, spending hundreds of billions of dollars annually on corporate trips, its growth rate lagged behind Europe’s in 2025.
Additionally, 40% of respondents said they were less likely than six months earlier to host multinational meetings in the US amid uncertainty linked to decisions taken by the Trump administration. Some international organisers are therefore considering alternative destinations in Europe and Asia.
This shift matters economically. Corporate travellers generally spend more than leisure visitors, supporting premium hotels, restaurants and event venues such as the Paris Convention Centre and the Palais des Congrès, as well as creating local jobs.
Paris welcomed 18 million visitors in 2025, boosted by both business travel and the reopening of Notre-Dame Cathedral, damaged by fire in 2019. France is now seeking to expand its capacity further and aims to reach €100 billion in annual tourism revenue by 2030, compared with the €77.5 billion recorded in 2025.
Despite the rise of virtual meetings, corporate travel is expected to surpass its 2019 pre-pandemic levels in 2026.
