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A tourism power
France is the world's leading tourist destination. It attracted more than 100 million travellers in 2024.
Key points of the sheet
- Travellers come for the richness of the heritage. There are museums, historic monuments and sites listed by Unesco.
- For example, there are the Louvre museum, the Orsay museum, the Eiffel Tower, Mont-Saint-Michel and the Loire castles.
- The landscapes are varied: beaches of the Côte d'Azur, the Alps, the Pyrenees, countryside, nature parks and wine regions.
- France hosts international events: the Cannes Festival, Roland-Garros and the Tour de France.
- Tourism is a major sector of the French economy. Its economic benefits represent 8% of gross domestic product (GDP).
- Tourism creates many jobs. More than 2 million jobs are linked to tourism, directly or indirectly.
- Tourism helps the dynamism of the regions, especially rural areas and small towns.
Words to know
- world's leading tourist destination (première destination touristique au monde)
- France is the world's leading tourist destination.
- cultural heritage (Patrimoine culturel)
- It means museums, historic monuments and French sites listed by Unesco.
- natural heritage (Patrimoine naturel)
- It means beaches, mountains, countryside, nature parks and wine regions.
- gross domestic product (GDP) (produit intérieur brut (PIB))
- The economic benefits of tourism represent 8% of the national gross domestic product (GDP).
Test yourself: 3 questions
What share of French GDP does tourism represent?
In French, the language of the exam: Quelle part du PIB français représente le tourisme ?
The economic benefits of tourism represent 8% of national GDP.
How many jobs are linked to tourism in France?
In French, the language of the exam: Combien d'emplois sont liés au tourisme en France ?
More than 2 million jobs are linked to tourism in France, directly or indirectly.
Which international event is linked to cinema?
In French, the language of the exam: Quel événement international est lié au cinéma ?
The Cannes Festival is for cinema. Roland-Garros is for tennis and the Tour de France is for cycling.
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Questions on the ministry's list that rest on this sheet
More in this topic (France in Europe and in the world)
Source
Sheet “Une puissance touristique” of the French Ministry of the Interior: formation-civique.interieur.gouv.fr. Content published under the Etalab Open Licence 2.0. This page is a plain-language adaptation made by Hexaciv, which is not an official site: if in doubt, the ministry's text is the one that counts.
Ministry sheet read on 23 October 2026, still identical on 25 October 2026.