PARIS · TRAVEL DATA REPORT
50+ Paris Travel Statistics for 2026
Visitor numbers, the most-visited attractions, what a trip really costs, and the best time to go. Every figure sourced, dated, and linked.
● Updated September 2026 · refreshed monthly
Paris is one of the most-tracked tourism markets on earth, and yet the numbers move all over the place. The Eiffel Tower gets cited as 5.9M, 6M, or 6.2M visitors depending on the source. "Cost of a day in Paris" swings from €63 to €275. Different reports measure different things (city proper vs Greater Paris, paying visitors vs estimated footfall), and plenty of articles quietly blend them together.
I built this page so you can stop guessing which figure is right. Every statistic below is attributed to its original source, tied to its year, and linked, so you can see exactly what's being measured before you quote it anywhere.
I refresh this guide every month with the latest visitor counts, hotel price bands, and overtourism measures. Bookmark it and check back. Paris doesn't slow down, and neither will this page.
Paris in 19 Numbers
The 19 figures worth remembering before you plan, freshest first.
- Summer 2026 was the busiest on record: 13.3 million visitors between June and August. Up 3% on the previous record summer of 2025, with 7M international and 6.3M French. (CRT Paris Île-de-France (summer 2026 review), September 2026)
- Summer visitors spent €7 billion in three months, up 6%. Spending grew twice as fast as visitor numbers (€4.8bn international, €2.2bn French). (CRT Paris Île-de-France (summer 2026 review), September 2026)
- Paris hotels ran at 89% occupancy in June 2026. On 34.1 million hotel nights across the first half of the year, 6% above 2019. (CRT Paris Île-de-France (summer 2026 review), September 2026)
- Greater Paris welcomed nearly 50 million visitors in 2025. 25.9M domestic, a record 23.2M international. (CRT Paris Île-de-France (2025 annual report), March 2026)
- International arrivals hit a record 23.2 million in 2025. Up 3% on 2024 and 4% above pre-pandemic 2019. (CRT Paris Île-de-France (2025 annual report), March 2026)
- Paris tourism revenue reached a record ~€24 billion in 2025. 8% above pre-pandemic 2019; international visitors spent nearly €16 billion of it. (CRT Paris Île-de-France (2025 annual report), March 2026)
- The United States stayed the top source market in 2025 with 2.8 million visitors. Ahead of the UK (2.5M), Italy (1.6M), Germany (1.5M) and Spain (1.4M). (CRT Paris Île-de-France (2025 annual report), March 2026)
- France set a national record with about 102 million international visitors in 2025 (Atout France via ETIAS, January 2026)
- May and September are the best months. Mild weather, smaller crowds, ~25–30% lower hotel rates than peak August. (hotelagio, January 2026)
- The Louvre drew 9.0 million visitors in 2025. Back above its pre-Olympics level and still the world's most-visited museum (73% foreign). (Louvre via Artforum, January 2026)
- A typical Paris tourist spends €95–265 per day in 2026. Depending on travel style. (Radical Storage (cost of Paris), January 2026)
- Central Paris hotels average €150–200 per night. A metro ride stays cheap at €2.55. (Radical Storage (cost of Paris), January 2026)
- The Eiffel Tower had an exceptional 2025 with 6.75 million paid visitors. ~450,000 more than 2024, plus 10M on the free forecourt. (Société d'Exploitation de la Tour Eiffel (SETE), January 2026)
- Paris ranked the world's #1 city destination for a fifth straight year (Euromonitor International, December 2025)
- Free-to-enter Sacré-Cœur sees an estimated 11 million visitors a year. More than the Eiffel Tower. (hotelagio, August 2025)
- Paris carries some of Europe's highest tourism density. ~418,280 overnight stays per km². (Tourism Review, August 2025)
- Greater Paris welcomed nearly 49 million visitors in 2024. 26.1M domestic, 22.6M international. (CRT Paris Île-de-France via roadgenius, February 2025)
- Paris tourism revenue hit €23.4 billion in 2024. Up 8% on 2023 and 7% above pre-pandemic 2019. (CRT Paris Île-de-France via roadgenius, February 2025)
- Disneyland Paris is the single most-visited site (~14.8M/yr). The Louvre is the most-visited museum. (Statista (Louvre), December 2024 · Louvre official via roadgenius, January 2025)
01 How many people visit Paris each year?
Greater Paris (Paris + Île-de-France) welcomed nearly 50 million visitors in 2025. 25.9 million domestic and a record 23.2 million international.
It is one of the busiest tourist regions on earth, and the international half of that total now sits 4% above the 2019 pre-pandemic benchmark. (CRT Paris Île-de-France (2025 annual report), March 2026)
Is Paris tourism back to pre-pandemic levels?
Past them, on the international side. The region went 47.5 million visitors in 2023, 48.7 million in 2024, and close to 50 million in 2025.
The recovery has been steep: the 2020 pandemic low was just 17.4 million arrivals, so Paris has roughly tripled its visitor count in five years. (CRT Paris Île-de-France via roadgenius, February 2025 · CRT Paris Île-de-France (2025 annual report), March 2026)
How many people visited Paris in summer 2026?
13.3 million between June and August 2026, the busiest summer the region has ever recorded, up 3% on the previous record set in summer 2025 (12.7 million).
Seven million came from abroad and 6.3 million from elsewhere in France, both up 3%. Overnight stays rose 6% region-wide, and all eight Île-de-France departments grew, with Paris itself up 5%. (CRT Paris Île-de-France (summer 2026 review), September 2026)
How is 2026 tracking overall?
The first half of 2026 brought 24.7 million visitors, 1% ahead of the same period in 2025 and 4% above 2019.
The back end of the year looks solid too: air bookings for September to December were running 4% ahead of last year, led by Southeast Asia (+19%), Asia overall (+12%) and the Middle East (+11%). (CRT Paris Île-de-France (summer 2026 review), September 2026)
Is Paris the most visited city in the world?
Paris was named the world's #1 city destination for the fifth consecutive year, welcoming over 18 million international visitors on a city-proper basis in 2025.
By international arrivals alone, Istanbul has periodically ranked higher, but Paris consistently tops "most desired destination" indices. (Euromonitor International, December 2025)
A NOTE ON THE NUMBERS You'll see "22.6 million international" (Greater Paris, official regional board) and "18 million international" (city proper, Euromonitor) cited side by side. Both are correct. They measure different geographic areas. We label the scope wherever a figure appears.
02 Where do Paris visitors come from?
Which countries send the most tourists to Paris?
In 2025 the United States led with 2.8 million visitors, followed by the UK (2.5M), Italy (1.6M), Germany (1.5M), and Spain (1.4M).
The gap widened over summer 2026, when the US alone sent about a million visitors in three months, with the UK and Spain around 500,000 each. North American and British travelers remain the backbone of Paris's long-haul and short-haul demand. (CRT Paris Île-de-France (2025 annual report), March 2026 · CRT Paris Île-de-France (summer 2026 review), September 2026)
What share of visitors are international versus domestic?
Domestic travelers are still the slight majority: 25.9 million French visitors versus 23.2 million international in 2025.
It surprises many people that French residents out-travel foreign tourists within Greater Paris, though the gap is closing. Over summer 2026 international visitors actually led, 7 million to 6.3 million. (CRT Paris Île-de-France (2025 annual report), March 2026 · CRT Paris Île-de-France (summer 2026 review), September 2026)
Which markets are growing fastest?
Asia. Bookings from Southeast Asia for autumn 2026 were up 19% year-on-year, with Asia overall up 12% and the Middle East up 11%.
Asian markets rebounded strongly through 2025, with China maintaining momentum since autumn 2024 and Canada up 13% over summer 2025. The return of Chinese and Southeast Asian travelers is still the single biggest swing factor in Paris's near-term growth. (Paris je t'aime barometer, August 2025 · CRT Paris Île-de-France (summer 2026 review), September 2026)
03 What are the most-visited attractions?
Disneyland Paris draws the largest crowds of any single site; the Louvre is the most-visited museum on earth; and the free Sacré-Cœur quietly out-draws the Eiffel Tower.
| # | Attraction | Visitors |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Disneyland ParisMost-visited site of any kind · (Radical Storage, October 2024) | ~14.8M |
| 2 | Sacré-Cœur Basilica (free)Estimated; free entry · (hotelagio, August 2025) | ~11M |
| 3 | Louvre Museum2025, up from 8.7M in 2024 · (Louvre via Artforum, January 2026) | 9.0M |
| 4 | Versailles PalaceAnnual · (roadgenius, February 2025) | ~7.7M |
| 5 | Eiffel Tower2025 paying visitors, plus ~10M on the free forecourt · (SETE, January 2026) | 6.75M |
| 6 | Musée d'Orsay2022 baseline · (roadgenius, February 2025) | ~3.3M |
How many people visit the Louvre?
The Louvre welcomed 9.0 million visitors in 2025, up from 8.7 million in 2024 and still the most-visited art museum in the world.
International tourists made up about 73% of that total, drawn heavily by the Mona Lisa. (Louvre via Artforum, January 2026)
Which free attraction draws the biggest crowds?
Sacré-Cœur in Montmartre, with an estimated 11 million visitors a year. More than the Eiffel Tower's paying crowd.
Because entry is free, its footfall is estimated rather than ticketed, but it consistently ranks among the city's busiest sites. (hotelagio, August 2025)
TIE EACH NUMBER TO ITS YEAR The Eiffel Tower appears as 5.9M, 6M, 6.2M and 6.75M across different years and sources; the Louvre as 9.0M (2025), 8.7M (2024) and 8.9M (2023). We've dated each figure rather than picking one "definitive" count.
04 When is the best time to visit Paris?
What is the best month to visit Paris?
May and September are the consensus sweet spots. Mild weather, thinner crowds, and lower prices than peak summer.
September brings 15–23°C, crowd reductions of roughly 30–40% at major sites after the start of September, and hotel rates around 25–30% below August. May offers spring blooms and comparable weather. (hotelagio, January 2026)
When is Paris cheapest?
January and February. The lowest hotel rates and the quietest streets of the year.
Winter trades warmth for value: shorter museum queues, better room deals, and a calmer city, in exchange for cold, grey days (January averages 2–6°C). (Radical Storage (cost of Paris), January 2026)
When is Paris most crowded?
June through August and late December. July sees peak crowds alongside the year's highest hotel and flight prices.
Rainfall is spread fairly evenly across the year (~50–65mm/month) in short showers rather than long storms, so a compact umbrella matters more than the season. (hotelagio, January 2026)
Crowd and weather figures here are drawn from travel-sector seasonal analyses and should be read as well-sourced estimates rather than official counts.
05 How much does a trip to Paris cost?
How much does a day in Paris cost?
Plan for roughly €95–120 a day as a budget traveler, €150–220 mid-range, and €350+ for luxury.
A separate dataset built from actual traveler spending lands in a similar place. About €99/day for budget trips and €265/day mid-range. Your style of travel matters far more than the season. (Radical Storage (cost of Paris), January 2026 · BudgetYourTrip, January 2026)
How much are hotels in Paris per night?
Central hotels average €150–200 a night, though city-wide averages run lower.
BudgetYourTrip's all-hotels average sits near €115, rising to roughly €215 in peak summer; budget rooms start around €75 and luxury averages climb past €220. Staying in the 11th, 19th, or 20th arrondissements cuts the cost noticeably. (Radical Storage (cost of Paris), January 2026 · BudgetYourTrip, January 2026)
How full are Paris hotels?
Very. Occupancy across the region hit 89% in June 2026, on 34.1 million hotel nights in the first half of the year.
That is 2% more hotel nights than the same period in 2025 and 6% above 2019. Furnished short-term rentals went the other way, down 5% as supply tightened, which pushes more demand into hotels and keeps rates firm. (CRT Paris Île-de-France (summer 2026 review), September 2026)
What do transport and attractions cost?
A single metro ride is €2.55; the Louvre and Musée d'Orsay run €14–17; the Eiffel Tower summit is €28.30.
The metro is one of the best-value city transport systems in Europe, and many museums offer free entry on the first Sunday of the month. (Radical Storage (cost of Paris), January 2026)
How does Paris compare to other European cities?
Paris runs about 25–30% cheaper than London overall, but pricier than Rome, Barcelona, or Lisbon.
It sits at the higher end of European capitals without reaching Zurich or Copenhagen territory. (Radical Storage (cost of Paris), January 2026)
WHY THE COST FIGURES VARY SO MUCH Daily-spend estimates range from €63 to €275 across sources because each measures a different traveler. Backpacker versus mid-range versus all-inclusive. There is no single official "cost of a Paris trip," so we attribute every band to its source and travel style rather than quoting one number.
06 What is tourism worth to the Paris economy?
How much revenue does Paris tourism generate?
Paris generated a record ~€24 billion in tourism revenue in 2025, 8% above pre-pandemic 2019, with international visitors accounting for nearly €16 billion of it.
The 2024 figure was €23.4 billion. On a national level, France's international tourism revenue reached a record €71 billion in 2024 (+12%); that broader figure is often quoted alongside the Paris number, but the two measure different things. (CRT Paris Île-de-France (2025 annual report), March 2026 · CRT Paris Île-de-France via roadgenius, February 2025 · Tourism Review, November 2024)
How much did visitors spend in summer 2026?
€7 billion between June and August, up 6% year-on-year. Spending grew twice as fast as visitor numbers did.
International visitors accounted for €4.8 billion of it (+5%) and French visitors €2.2 billion (+9%). The first half of 2026 added €11.8 billion, 17% above the same period in 2019, so Paris is now earning noticeably more per visitor than it did before the pandemic. (CRT Paris Île-de-France (summer 2026 review), September 2026)
How many jobs does Paris tourism support?
Tourism accounts for nearly one in ten jobs in Paris, with international tourism cited as supporting more than 291,000 hospitality and catering roles.
Accommodation, leisure, catering, and transport make up close to 30,000 service businesses in Greater Paris. (Paris Playbook, December 2024)
How much does the average tourist spend per day?
Around €200 per tourist per day in Paris.
This blended figure spans all traveler types and is higher than most individual budget estimates because it includes high-spending luxury and business visitors. (Paris Playbook, June 2025)
What was the economic impact of the 2024 Olympics?
The Paris 2024 Games were projected at up to €10.7 billion in total economic impact and 247,000 jobs, with €1.4–3.5 billion attributed specifically to tourism.
That headline figure is a projection first modeled in 2016, so it's best read as a forecast rather than a settled result. (Oxford Economics, September 2024)
DON'T MERGE THE REVENUE FIGURES ~€24 billion is Paris-specific tourism revenue; €71 billion is France's national international-tourism revenue. They're different geographies and different definitions. Combining them is the most common error in Paris tourism write-ups.
07 Is Paris suffering from overtourism?
How crowded is Paris?
Paris carries some of the highest tourism density in Europe. Roughly 418,280 overnight stays per square kilometer.
The city logged around 175 million overnight stays in 2024, more than half from international tourists. (Tourism Review, August 2025 · CCI Paris Île-de-France, February 2025)
What is Paris doing about overcrowding?
The Louvre capped daily ticket sales at 30,000, and Montmartre's Place du Tertre introduced an entry fee from June 2025.
These are early moves in a wider push to balance record visitor numbers against livability for residents. (GoWithGuide, July 2025 · Tourism Review, August 2025)
Which sites get most overcrowded?
The Louvre, the Eiffel Tower, and Sacré-Cœur during peak summer months.
Visiting these early in the morning or in shoulder season is the single most effective way to avoid the worst of the crush. (hotelagio, August 2025)
Paris isn't slowing down. It's managing growth.
Record revenue, a fifth straight year as the world's #1 city destination, and the busiest summer the region has ever counted in 2026. The telling detail is that spending is climbing twice as fast as visitor numbers: fewer bargains, more money moving. The crowds are real, but so is the value. If you time it right and book smart.
Glossary
- CRT (Comité Régional du Tourisme)
- The official regional tourism board for Paris Île-de-France. The primary source for visitor totals, source markets, and revenue.
- CCI Paris Île-de-France
- The regional Chamber of Commerce and Industry, source of overnight-stay data.
- Greater Paris / Île-de-France
- The wider region surrounding the city, used for most official visitor counts. Distinct from "Paris city proper," which produces smaller numbers.
- Shoulder season
- The periods between peak and low season (spring and early autumn) that balance good weather, smaller crowds, and lower prices.
- Arrondissement
- One of the 20 numbered administrative districts that spiral outward from central Paris.
