Tourism in Paris: July 2026 Sees a Slight Uptick


La fréquentation touristique du Grand Paris a légèrement progressé en juillet 2026 - Depositphotos.com, masterlu

MSC Croisières


Parisian tourism registered a slight improvement in July 2026.

According to the latest barometer from Paris je t’aime – Office de tourisme, foreign air arrivals reached 1.2 million for the month, i.e. a rise of 0.7% year-on-year.

In the same period, overnight tourism in the Grand Paris rose by 1.8%, with a rise of 2.9% for French visitors and a 1.6% increase for foreign clientele.

Hotel activity also follows this trend. The occupancy rate of Parisian establishments stood at 85.1% in July, up 1.4% compared with July 2025.

Overall, since the start of the year, the number of tourists registered in the Grand Paris has increased by 1.9% compared with the same period in 2025.


Des marchés internationaux aux évolutions contrastées

The dynamics remain different depending on the markets. Several foreign clientele strengthened their presence in the capital in July. This is notably the case for the United States (+2.3%), China (+7%), and Mexico (+13.9%).

Conversely, some source markets recorded a drop in demand. Arrivals of Italian tourists fell by 7.1%, Canadians by 3.9% and Spaniards by 4.5%.

This contrasting evolution is also seen at a geographic level. The central districts as well as the east and south of Paris registered hotel occupancy increases of over 3%.

The 13th, 14th and 15th arrondissements notably benefited from the Esports World Cup, with an average occupancy rate up by 3.2%.

Conversely, western Paris experienced a decline of 2.6% compared with July 2025.


A rentrée driven by major events

After a month of August traditionally calmer, Paris should resume sustained activity starting in September.

The autumn events calendar looks particularly dense, with several concerts, trade shows, conferences and international gatherings.

The month will begin notably with PLK’s concert at the Stade de France on September 5, followed by IPEM at the Palais des Congrès, from September 8 to 10. Several Céline Dion dates are also scheduled during the month.

The visit of the Pope, with a visit and a mass planned around September 25, should also support hotel demand. Paris je t’aime estimates at this stage that this event could generate 5.9 percentage points of hotel occupancy.

The end of the month will be particularly busy with SILMO, then Batimat from September 28 to October 1 at Porte de Versailles. The September 29, the event’s impact is estimated at +8.7 percentage points of hotel occupancy.

Despite this schedule, hotel bookings for September do not yet fully reflect this momentum. The projected occupancy rate remains at a slight decline of 0.4% compared with September 2025. Air bookings, however, appear better oriented, with an expected rise of 1.2% for the month.


October better oriented

The outlook is more favorable for October. The projected hotel occupancy rate currently shows a 2.6% year-on-year rise.

Several major events are expected to help sustain activity, including the SIAL at Villepinte, several large congresses, Paris Games Week, and the NFL game scheduled at the Stade de France on October 25.

The end of the year should also benefit from a dense events calendar. Several peak attendance periods are anticipated in October, notably around Batimat, the Journées Francophones de Radiologie (JFR), Produrable, Gazelec and several Céline Dion concerts.

Late November and early December, other major professional events are expected to take over, with notably the ADF, Journées de Dermatologie (JDP), All4Pack, the Nautic Show, Pollutec or the Horse Grand Prix.


Des perspectives encourageantes, mais un environnement toujours contrasté

In the medium term, Paris je t’aime considers that the outlook remains favorable, even though performances are expected to continue varying strongly across markets. At present, the tourism office estimates that the number of tourists for the entire year 2026 should be very slightly below that recorded in 2025.

The first indicators for 2027 are nevertheless encouraging. Forecast air bookings for the first half show positive changes on several strategic markets, notably the United States, China, Brazil, Japan, India and South Korea.

For the three upcoming months, the reservation data recorded as of August 10 from ForwardKeys/Amadeus nonetheless show a strong disparity between markets.

The expected air arrivals from September to November are rising particularly for Saudi Arabia (+23.1%), Mexico (+18.7%), Brazil (+14.9%), Japan (+9.3%) and Canada (+3.8%).

Conversely, bookings are down for the United States (-7.3%), Italy (-17.5%), Spain (-14.5%), Australia (-13.6%) and South Korea (-33.1%).

The Paris destination will also have to contend with evolving travel behaviors, marked by greater attention to value for money, shorter European stays, a search for proximity and rising expectations regarding sustainable tourism.


Amara Nambinga

Amara Nambinga

I write about tourism, culture, and emerging destinations with a Namibian perspective. Through my articles, I try to highlight the places, people, and travel stories that show how Africa and the wider world are changing.