By Alex Ledsom Senior Contributor
Provence—Why is it that France is the most visited country in the world, but has minimal backlash against overtourism?
Tourism is booming in Europe. The George Washington University revealed that in 2024, 747 million travelers visited Europe, more than the population of Europe itself, and this inevitably puts a “strain on local infrastructure, environment, and communities.”
France and Spain receive the most. Yet, despite welcoming a similar number of visitors, Spain has seen far more local opposition to tourism than France. From protests in Barcelona to banners in Ibiza, Spanish locals are voicing their frustrations. Meanwhile, France, known for its frequent demonstrations against many things, has remained relatively quiet. Why?
Overtourism—France And Spain Are The Most Visited Countries
France topped the list again in 2024 as the most-visited country in the world, with a record 100 million travelers passing through its borders, resulting in a 12% year-on-year increase in tourist earnings.
Furthermore, the latest data from the World Travel and Tourism Council suggests that France is on track to surpass its records in 2025. Julia Simpson, WTTC President & CEO, said: “France continues to set the pace for Travel & Tourism worldwide. After a historic 2024, the sector is expected to maintain its growth into 2025 and beyond.” Much of this increase can be attributed to the success of the Olympic and Paralympic Games in summer 2024, which showcased France as a backdrop to every race. The WTTC predicts that the tourism sector will employ one in ten people in France in 2025.
Spain was only six million people short of this figure, and still reached 94 million travelers and a 10% year-on-year increase in takings.
So, Why Are Spanish Locals Protesting, And Not the French?
So, why are Spanish locals more vociferous in their opposition to increased tourism? At the same time, France, notwithstanding a recent strike at the Louvre against unmanageable crowds, has seen relatively little protests. And this is in a country that is known for its frequent demonstrations.
Throughout 2024, Spanish locals ran coordinated protests against tourists in cities such as Barcelona and Madrid, as well as the bustling Canary Islands. In mid-June 2025, thousands of people took to the streets across Madrid and Barcelona to protest, shouting “Your holidays, my misery” and holding up banners that read “Mass tourism kills the city” and “Their greed brings us ruin.” Protesters also took part across the country, in locations such as Ibiza, Málaga, Palma de Mallorca, San Sebastián, and Granada.
France Has A Very Different Tourist Set-Up From Spain
There are several reasons, however, that might explain why France has seen comparatively little local resistance to tourism.
Notably, a significant portion of France’s tourism is domestic. French residents contribute between 50% and 70% of the country’s tourism revenue, commonly spending their holidays traveling across their own country. Helped by the fact that France has access to the Atlantic Ocean, the Mediterranean Sea and mountain ranges in the Alps and the Pyrenees.
The rest of France’s visitors arrive predominantly from Belgium, Britain, Germany, Switzerland, and the U.S. The number of Asian visitors remains significantly below pre-pandemic levels, with Chinese visitors still 60% down from their pre-pandemic figures. Statistics sometimes inflate international tourist numbers because France serves as a significant transit hub between northern and southern Europe.
The statistics also show that tourists are spending more when they visit Spain, prompting French Tourism Minister Nathalie Delattre to state in early 2025 that one of France’s tourism objectives is to encourage visitors to spend more and stay longer. French visitors spent around $74 billion in 2024 (€71 billion), whereas tourists to Spain spent $148 billion (€126 billion). More extended stays might make locals more hostile?
France and Spain have both been strict about clamping down on Airbnb and other short-term rentals, but geography also plays a part. They are around the same size in terms of land; France is only 9% larger. In terms of population, France had approximately 69 million residents and Spain had just over 46 million in 2021. However, there are large swathes of Spain that lie uninhabited because they are simply less hospitable to residents than other parts of Spain, and this puts an undeniable pressure on resources in cities and along the coast. While France has many of its residents in the Ile-de-France region (around Paris), it also has more cities distributed across the center of the country, such as Lyon, Toulouse, and Strasbourg.
Due to its geography and history, might it also have a more diverse tourist base? They visit Paris, yes, but also different regions for the Champagne, the castles in the Loire, the skiing in the Alps, and they head to Provence and the Mediterranean. So, while the bulk of tourists visit the same sites, such as Paris, Étretat, and Mont Saint-Michel, perhaps it’s less of an issue overall?
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