Being the Tourism Minister for the world’s leading tourist destination carries a very particular aura.
So, when Serge Papin strolls through the aisles of the IFTM, the sensation of being George Clooney at a film festival is not far off, far from it.
“I felt like a rock star (laughs, editor’s note).
Not only are 180 countries represented, but we also had the opportunity to meet a good number of foreign ministers. France is regarded as a global leader in tourism. What may surprise is that we feel there are expectations placed on us, a desire to share and to take advantage of our know‑how.
I received a lot of inquiries“, confides a tourism minister pleased with this rush of oxygen in a national and international environment terribly degraded.
The Paris meeting was an opportunity to take stock of the summer of 2026, marked by the solid performance of foreign clientele, but a bit more uncertain for French tourists.
Without jumping for joy or shouting victory, in the race against Spain, the minister judges the high season “adequate”.
So, when Serge Papin strolls through the aisles of the IFTM, the sensation of being George Clooney at a film festival is not far off, far from it.
“I felt like a rock star (laughs, editor’s note).
Not only are 180 countries represented, but we also had the opportunity to meet a good number of foreign ministers. France is regarded as a global leader in tourism. What may surprise is that we feel there are expectations placed on us, a desire to share and to take advantage of our know‑how.
I received a lot of inquiries“, confides a tourism minister pleased with this rush of oxygen in a national and international environment terribly degraded.
The Paris meeting was an opportunity to take stock of the summer of 2026, marked by the solid performance of foreign clientele, but a bit more uncertain for French tourists.
Without jumping for joy or shouting victory, in the race against Spain, the minister judges the high season “adequate”.
The French: “a slight regression in the heart of the July-August peak”
“It’s better than the previous year, but not by much.We started from a 2025 that was already very good, because we had crossed a hurdle thanks to France and Paris promotion, thanks to the Olympic Games.
International clientèle had jumped by 9% in 2025 compared to 2024.
This same clientele is up 3.7% in the figures from January to July. We are almost at 15% in two years, we can be proud“, states the minister of Small and Medium Enterprises, Trade, Crafts, Tourism and Purchasing Power.
Positive numbers that must, however, be viewed in perspective. In 2024, the Olympic Games had led to a drop in international travelers, according to INSEE, notably during the events.
A lull that has since been filled by the strong growth of international markets. If the event’s effect remains hard to measure, its image and success have, at the very least, not harmed the destination, quite the opposite.
And this clientele, highly lucrative, seems to have become a government priority. Which leaves many observers puzzled, particularly regarding the president’s aim to make France the world’s first sustainable destination.
The two challenges are not at odds, according to the minister.
“We have an infrastructure challenge, tourist facilities, water management, but also pesticide use in green spaces, etc. We truly have a commitment to sustainable development on site.
The organizers of the 2030 Winter Games have pledged to make them the most sustainable winter Games in history. I genuinely want us to be the champions of sustainable tourism by 2030.
After that, if travelers come by air, if they come from far away, they cannot come otherwise. On the other hand, once they are on site, they operate within an ecosystem that is very attentive to sustainable development“, tries to justify Serge Papin.
And even if the minister does not wish to pit any particular clientele against another, climate warming reminded the industry of itself throughout the summer.
“The French weighed choices for budgetary and climate reasons”
The summer of 2026 was the hottest on record in our country, since the beginning of meteorological measurements in 1900.
“The heat waves affected the places of stay and consumption.
French tourists, in particular, chose destinations with more bearable temperatures, hence the regions north of the Loire, including Brittany, Normandy and the Channel, as well as the Northern Alps.
These destinations progressed quite spectacularly.
In the middle of the heat wave, places of entertainment and restaurants endured a bit of the impact. The French likely hedged for budgetary and climatic reasons“, estimates Serge Papin.
A finding that aligns with the view of UM IH.
The union stated in early September that travelers had decided to watch their spending, particularly in bars and restaurants.
Another casualty of the summer: Gironde.
The department, which experienced one of the most destructive fires in its history, will host the next Tourism Sector Committee in October 2026.
The occasion, for the minister, to show residents that the government stands by them, but also to monitor the end of the tourist season in the region and the rollout of aid.
“Acting players benefit from payroll tax exemptions on salaries, social security charges, property tax and partial unemployment, for three months.
Then, in the PLF, we proposed that the companies most affected by these fires and their consequences be exempt from the fields I have just outlined.”
And this is not the only tourism-specific issue to appear in the forthcoming finance bill.
“The heat waves affected the places of stay and consumption.
French tourists, in particular, chose destinations with more bearable temperatures, hence the regions north of the Loire, including Brittany, Normandy and the Channel, as well as the Northern Alps.
These destinations progressed quite spectacularly.
In the middle of the heat wave, places of entertainment and restaurants endured a bit of the impact. The French likely hedged for budgetary and climatic reasons“, estimates Serge Papin.
A finding that aligns with the view of UM IH.
The union stated in early September that travelers had decided to watch their spending, particularly in bars and restaurants.
Another casualty of the summer: Gironde.
The department, which experienced one of the most destructive fires in its history, will host the next Tourism Sector Committee in October 2026.
The occasion, for the minister, to show residents that the government stands by them, but also to monitor the end of the tourist season in the region and the rollout of aid.
“Acting players benefit from payroll tax exemptions on salaries, social security charges, property tax and partial unemployment, for three months.
Then, in the PLF, we proposed that the companies most affected by these fires and their consequences be exempt from the fields I have just outlined.”
And this is not the only tourism-specific issue to appear in the forthcoming finance bill.
PLF 2027: “Everyone must make efforts, Atout France included”
The sector is expected, by implication, to contribute in the coming budget.
“Tourism is a thriving activity. It contributes to the trade balance by around 20 billion euros and to the country’s growth, even if modest.
There is a topic that will be addressed by the text: the tourist tax. We are in discussion with professionals and elected officials on reform since May 2026.
Arbitrations are not yet set, but they will align with the desires of professionals,” reveals the occupant of Bercy.
In addition, the government is working on a simplification plan, as it has done in the past.
According to the cabinet, the new definition of the word “tent” (decree No. 2026-14 of January 14, 2026 simplifying and securing provisions of the tourism code relating to the definition and classification of certain merchant tourist accommodations) generated an additional 60 million euros in turnover. The simplification project has not yet been unveiled, but remember that in April last year, Nathalie Delattre, the former Tourism Minister, filed a bill in that sense. At any rate, in the next PLF, there could also be a reference… to Atout France.
“Atout France has a solid legitimacy and real recognition, especially internationally.
After all, this does not oppose a transformation, which is already underway and which we have begun a year ago. We are custodians of public funds and, in a period of budgetary austerity, everyone must make efforts, Atout France included“, the minister confided.
According to our information, the austerity plan is already a reality, since several posts have been eliminated abroad and offices rationalized.
Moreover, a reorganization is also announced at the Paris headquarters, without the teams truly understanding, for the moment, where the institution is heading.
In the meantime, Serge Papin does not question the legitimacy or even the existence of Atout France.
“Tourism is a thriving activity. It contributes to the trade balance by around 20 billion euros and to the country’s growth, even if modest.
There is a topic that will be addressed by the text: the tourist tax. We are in discussion with professionals and elected officials on reform since May 2026.
Arbitrations are not yet set, but they will align with the desires of professionals,” reveals the occupant of Bercy.
In addition, the government is working on a simplification plan, as it has done in the past.
According to the cabinet, the new definition of the word “tent” (decree No. 2026-14 of January 14, 2026 simplifying and securing provisions of the tourism code relating to the definition and classification of certain merchant tourist accommodations) generated an additional 60 million euros in turnover. The simplification project has not yet been unveiled, but remember that in April last year, Nathalie Delattre, the former Tourism Minister, filed a bill in that sense. At any rate, in the next PLF, there could also be a reference… to Atout France.
“Atout France has a solid legitimacy and real recognition, especially internationally.
After all, this does not oppose a transformation, which is already underway and which we have begun a year ago. We are custodians of public funds and, in a period of budgetary austerity, everyone must make efforts, Atout France included“, the minister confided.
According to our information, the austerity plan is already a reality, since several posts have been eliminated abroad and offices rationalized.
Moreover, a reorganization is also announced at the Paris headquarters, without the teams truly understanding, for the moment, where the institution is heading.
In the meantime, Serge Papin does not question the legitimacy or even the existence of Atout France.
Mass tourism: “This offering is a challenge for our economy”
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