Why Do Saudi Travelers Keep Choosing France? New Tourism Statistics Reveal the Answer

Saudi Arabia is changing at a speed few tourism markets have ever seen. New Red Sea resorts, heritage destinations, entertainment districts and major infrastructure are giving Saudi families more reasons to holiday at home. Yet, when they travel abroad, France continues to command a loyalty that newer destinations cannot easily reproduce.

The newest official market data explain why. Visit Paris Region says Saudi Arabia was the leading source market from the Gulf and wider Middle East, excluding Türkiye, in 2024. It counted 100,000 Saudi visitors to the Paris Region that year, followed by a 27% increase in the first half of 2025. Forward bookings for the final quarter of 2025 were 59% ahead, supported by the return of Air France’s direct Riyadh–Paris route in April 2025.

This is not simply a story about the Eiffel Tower. It is about trust, family habits, luxury infrastructure, medicine, education, business and a destination able to serve several purposes in the same trip.

What the official figures really show

France welcomed 100 million international visitors in 2024 and generated €71 billion in international tourism receipts, according to the French government. Saudi travel is smaller in volume but unusually valuable in strategic terms.

• Saudi visitors: 100,000 to Paris Region in 2024, then +27% in the first half of 2025.
• Saudi position: the leading Gulf and Middle Eastern source market, excluding Türkiye.
• Regional demand: Paris Region received 840,000 visitors from Middle Eastern markets in 2024.
• Gulf visitors to France: Atout France still uses a benchmark of roughly 800,000 annually, based on EVE/UNWTO 2019 evidence. It is not a 2025 count.
• Spending power: Atout France says Gulf travelers represent 75% of Middle Eastern visitor spending and uses a benchmark of about US$3,000 a day for a holiday party. A 2026 Visit Paris Region dossier separately estimates Saudi outbound spending at about US$4,800 per trip, excluding accommodation.

Neither spending figure is a Saudi-only total for France. France does not publish a consolidated current total for all Saudi arrivals nationwide, or Saudi-only totals for luxury retail and medical travel. The Paris Region data remain the strongest recent official evidence.

Paris remains a complete luxury ecosystem

Saudi travelers can buy international luxury brands in Riyadh or Jeddah. Paris offers their concentration inside a cultural setting: Avenue Montaigne, Rue du Faubourg Saint-Honoré, Place Vendôme, the Champs-Élysées, department stores, private salons, haute couture, jewellery, art and gastronomy.

Shopping can sit beside a museum visit, medical appointment, business meeting or private dinner. Paris also supplies details high-spending guests value: connecting suites, Arabic-speaking staff in selected properties, concierges, personal shoppers, tax-refund assistance, private entrances and discreet mobility.

Atout France notes that Gulf visitors can represent as much as 20% of the clientele at certain Parisian palace hotels. That is not the market average, but it shows why the segment receives specialised attention. OUISTARS’ ranking of France’s leading tourist cities explains why Paris remains the dominant gateway.

Family travel: one trip, several generations

Atout France reports that 57.1% of Gulf travelers travel as couples or families, while 34% take more than five international trips a year. France fits this pattern: comfort and gastronomy for grandparents; shopping, culture or appointments for parents; parks and attractions for children.

Disneyland Paris is part of that equation. The resort does not publish a Saudi visitor breakdown, so exact claims would be speculative. Its practical strength is proximity to Paris, family hotels and the ability to combine it with La Vallée Village or a longer European itinerary.

Beyond Paris: the French Riviera

Nice, Cannes, Saint-Tropez and Monaco’s neighbouring coastline offer Mediterranean weather, beach clubs, yachts, villas, palace hotels and summer privacy. Paris provides culture, shopping and business; the Riviera provides space, sea and resort living. The two-centre formula helps France compete with Switzerland, Britain, Spain and Italy and explains joint Paris Region–Côte d’Azur promotion in Riyadh.

Medical travel: important, but poorly measured

France’s expertise in oncology, cardiology, rehabilitation and complex care can influence Saudi decisions. Families may seek second opinions, follow-up treatment or discreet recovery. Yet no recent official public dataset isolates Saudi medical arrivals or spending. Medical travel should therefore be described as a meaningful demand driver, not a quantified boom. Translation, confidentiality, accessible vehicles and recovery logistics matter alongside the appointment. OUISTARS examined the wider opportunity in its analysis of France and global medical tourism.

Business and historical ties keep the route active

France’s Treasury reported €7.6 billion in bilateral goods trade in 2024. President Emmanuel Macron’s December 2024 state visit brought together 153 companies; agreements announced around it were valued at nearly US$20 billion. Air France-KLM and Saudia were among the companies signing cooperation agreements. These links generate executive travel, investment missions, conferences and repeat visits, supporting airlines, agencies, DMCs, hotels and private mobility providers familiar with Saudi expectations.

Education creates lasting links

Campus France counted 595 Saudi students in France in 2024–2025: 73% in universities, 15% in business schools and 6% in engineering schools. Business-school enrolment rose 70% over five years, while engineering-school enrolment more than quadrupled. The AlUla scholarship programme also develops Saudi expertise in architecture, planning, culture, tourism and agriculture, creating family visits, alumni networks and familiarity with France.

Why Vision 2030 strengthens international travel

The official Vision 2030 annual report says Saudi Arabia exceeded the original 100-million-visit objective ahead of schedule and raised the 2030 ambition to 150 million domestic and international visits. New resorts will retain more spending at home, but domestic development can also expand travel literacy and service expectations. France succeeds when it offers something complementary: historic culture, established luxury, specialist services, international education and a familiar European setting.

OUISTARS Editorial Analysis

OUISTARS believes Saudi Arabia’s remarkable tourism transformation under Vision 2030 has expanded travel opportunities within the Kingdom while also strengthening Saudi travelers’ appetite for international destinations. France continues to hold a special place thanks to its luxury experiences, culture, shopping and long-standing appeal to Gulf visitors.

The next phase will depend on precision: larger family accommodation, multilingual service, faster tax refunds, dietary awareness, privacy, medical and accessibility coordination, and seamless links between Paris, the Riviera and other regions. France’s advantage is heritage; its challenge is consistency.

Travel Tip

For Saudi families and visitors travelling to France, planning airport transfers and private transportation in advance helps ensure a smoother arrival, particularly during peak seasons. A pre-booked chauffeur can coordinate flight monitoring, luggage, child seats, multi-vehicle family movements and onward travel. See OUISTARS’ guides to private car services in Paris and premium CDG airport transfers.

Official sources and methodology

This analysis uses Visit Paris Region, Atout France, the French government, Campus France, the French Treasury and the Saudi Vision 2030 Annual Report 2025. Different geographies are labelled accordingly.