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Tourism: Could Spain Overtake France as Early as 2027?

October 26, 2026 by Amara Nambinga

L’Espagne fonce vers le cap des 100 millions de touristes - Depositphotos

PONANT

On the football pitch as on the economy, Spain has outpaced France for several years now.

Tourism is one of the last pillars where France still holds a lead. But for how long will that last?

In a 2050 tourism report, Google predicted that Spain would become, by that time, the world’s leading tourist power, with 130 million visitors, compared to 125 million for France.

The Mountain View firm did not specify the exact date of the overtaking. That milestone could occur sooner than expected.

According to El País, the destination closed the best summer season in its history, with 44 million foreign travelers, more than the government in Spain had anticipated.

Spain races toward the 100-million-tourist milestone

In August alone, 12.3 million international visitors were welcomed.

According to the Spanish newspaper, the country should surpass the 100-million tourist threshold in 2026. For reference, France recorded 102 million international tourists in 2025.

But growth is not the same on either side of the Pyrenees.

While INSEE in France reports a 1.1% rise in summer overnight stays, i.e., 2.8 million more overnight stays than in 2025, the momentum is decidedly stronger in Madrid.

Even just for August, the number of foreign tourists rose by 9.2% in Spain. In France, international travelers did not advance over the past summer.

Between January and early September 2026, no fewer than 70.4 million foreign travelers visited Spain, up 5.4%. And Jordi Hereu, Spain’s Minister of Industry and Tourism, underscores the point.

At the WTTC Global Champion Award, he unveiled figures that should alarm Bercy.

“The sector is expected to grow by 3.7% in 2026, while international visitor spending should rise by 5.3%.

In 2025, Spain recorded $130.1 billion in international visitor spending, the highest level in Europe and the third in the world“, reports a press release summarizing Jordi Hereu’s statements.

With such growth, at this pace, Spain could well move dangerously close to France by 2027, if not overtake it.

Even if, as a reminder, it remains extremely difficult for a European country to know the exact number of foreign travelers, since there are no border controls in Europe for European nationals.

Summer 2026 Review: It’s Still Too Early to Draw a Definitive Conclusion, Says Valérie Boned

September 19, 2026 by Amara Nambinga

Invited to Good Morning Business on BFM Business, Monday 17 August 2026, Valérie Boned, president of Entreprises du Voyage, outlined an initial assessment of the summer season. While bookings are retreating, the behaviors of the French are evolving under the influence of purchasing power, wildfires, and international tensions.

At the halfway point of the summer season, Valérie Boned believes it is still too early to draw a definitive bilan. « It’s always difficult to make a halfway assessment », she reminded Erwan Morice, noting that the season extends until the end of September, or even early October.

In France, the wildfires have weighed particularly on certain destinations. In the Var and Gironde, professionals have reported cancellations and changes of destination. «There is a wave of cancellations for destinations in Gironde, Cap Ferret, the Var, especially in outdoor hospitality », she explains.

“There is a budget issue, the cost of living”

Facing the rise in the cost of living, the French are also watching their expenses more closely. “We are paying very close attention to expenditures, that’s for sure: there is a budget issue, the cost of living, purchasing power is very strong this year in particular,” notes the president of Entreprises du Voyage.

On foreign destinations, “there is the domestic political context, a lack of visibility, a very cautious market, and then there was the war, we cannot deny it. For foreign destinations, we have observed a very significant impact for three months. The French were waiting, and the market finally opened up in June-July. We will now have to wait for the figures. »

BFM focused on two destinations: the United States, which suffers from travel costs and the “Trump effect” and Albania, which shows strong growth, close to 300% in the Entreprises du Voyage observatory, driven notably by “a good price-quality ratio“.

“When you have an intermediary who is a professional, you have a contact person.”

Valérie Boned, invitée de Good Morning Business sur BFM - Capture écran

Valérie Boned also defends the role of travel agencies in the face of uncertainties. “When you have a professional intermediary, you have a contact person. If you cannot take your flight, there is assistance. If you cannot use the hotel you booked, there is a refund. That is the whole difference. Moreover, the French know this, as there is a return to travel agencies since uncertainties have multiplied and become more significant,” she recalls, as flight disruptions, notably the EasyJet strike and international events, can complicate travel.

TGV M to Welcome Its First Passengers in Early September 2026

July 19, 2026 by Amara Nambinga

TGV M : un début des opérations commerciales prévu en septembre 2026 - Crédit photo : SNCF Voyageurs

IFTM TourMaG Party

Il devait, à l’instar du CDG Express, débuter son exploitation pour les JO de Paris. Finalement, les usagers français auront attendu deux années supplémentaires.

En effet, le TGV M vient de franchir sa dernière étape avant sa mise en circulation à grande échelle. La livraison des rames à la SNCF débutera dès le début de l’été.

Il a obtenu l’autorisation de mise sur le marché délivrée par l’ERA, l’Agence de l’Union européenne pour les chemins de fer.

Cette étape cruciale permet de vérifier que le matériel répond aux “exigences de sécurité et d’interopérabilité”.

“La qualité du travail préparatoire et la coopération des parties prenantes ont contribué à la bonne progression de l’évaluation, marquant un des derniers jalons vers l’entrée en service du train“, selon le communiqué de l’opérateur.

Désormais, la SNCF et Alstom, le constructeur, vont pouvoir accélérer la mise en place de ce train de nouvelle génération.

TGV M: Commercial operations slated to begin in September 2026

Thus, the delivery of the first two sets destined for operation is planned for June 2026. Four more will follow by the end of August and, in total, the carrier will have 13 sets by the end of 2026.

For train enthusiasts, you will still have to wait a few more weeks before hoping to boards this new rolling stock.

A phase of testing and adjustments in real-world conditions is essential before welcoming the first passengers.

“SNCF Voyageurs and Alstom have chosen to strengthen the commissioning arrangements by planning a several-week pre-commercial run of the first sets on the national network.

This exceptional step will mobilize hundreds of teams from the two companies in order to check every detail of the onboard experience, support the adoption of the train by the operational teams and finalize the last adjustments before welcoming the first TGV INOUI travelers“, explains the press release.

To read : SNCF: what does the TGV M look like, which will run in 2026?

While commercial operations were scheduled for July 1, 2026, according to the latest postponement, they will not take place before early September.

For reminder, the TGV M is a 100 % French-designed train in its conception and built from 97 % of recyclable materials. It will feature 740 seats in its maximum configuration, i.e., 20 % more seats.

SNCF Voyageurs and Eurostar have ordered 160 train sets.