Home » France Travel News » Luxury Tourism Boom: France Tops Global Hotel Bookings, with Paris, Nice, and Marseille at the Forefront

Published on
August 8, 2025 |

France is poised to become the premier destination for luxury hotel reservations this summer, outplacing Italy for the first time in several years. Data from Global Travel Collection, the leading consortium of luxury travel advisors, reveals that July luxury hotel bookings in France climbed 64 percent year-on-year, propelled by rising demand for Paris, Nice, and Marseille. This spike illustrates France’s sustained momentum within the luxury tourism segment.

Paris ranked as the most sought-after city, followed by Nice and Marseille, each welcoming a strong influx of affluent guests. The robust booking figures mirror the wider rebound of the luxury travel segment, affirming France’s position as the foremost choice for discerning travellers in search of premier experiences. The upward trend further underscores the nation’s enduring allure within the revitalising global luxury market as travel demand for 2024 continues to grow.

Paris Crown Jewel of Luxury Travel in France

It is no surprise Paris leads France in luxury travel demand. Data from GTC show the capital generated 2,710 luxury hotel stays during July alone. Featuring emblematic sites—the Eiffel Tower, the Louvre, and the Champs-Élysées—the city has long drawn guests in search of sophistication, culture, and gourmet cuisine.

Benchmark properties such as Le Bristol and curations from Oetker Hotels attract patrons in pursuit of refinement, unrivaled service, and walkable access to principal attractions. Michelin-starred restaurants, tranquil spas, and opulent suites validate Paris as the definitive luxury destination.

The city further cultivates exclusivity via private gallery viewings and tailored shopping excursions, appealing to those who desire bespoke opulence. Its dual position as a major center for corporate and leisure travel secures its continued prominence in the luxury sector, welcoming an ever-growing stream of wealthy travelers from every continent.

Nice and Marseille have emerged, behind only Paris, as the Mediterranean’s newest magnets for luxury travel, evidenced by surging hotel reservations in both cities. Nice, the Riviera’s perennial jewel, recorded 1,313 luxury hotel nights, luring guests with its sun-drenched climate, sweeping shoreline vistas, and refined social scene. With its gentle pebble beaches, high-end boutiques, and lively cafés, the city blends understated relaxation and polished elegance. At the apex of its high-end offering, the Maybourne Riviera commands a rocky peninsula, the infinity pool seeming to dissolve into the sea, a quietly dramatic statement of the Riviera’s storied luxury.

Meanwhile, Marseille, buoyed by its storied maritime heritage and an ever-expanding portfolio of upscale offerings, recorded 286 luxury nights, energizing its ascent within the French tourism circuit. As the nation’s second city, Marseille combines dynamic cultural rhythms, venerable stone façades, and immediate access to the crystalline fissures of the Calanques National Park. Affluent visitors are now drawn by inventive gastronomy, a resurgent arts scene, and the unmistakable draw of the Mediterranean. Preeminent properties such as the InterContinental Marseille—Hôtel Dieu pair commanding vistas of the Vieux Port with unparalleled service, solidifying the city’s allure for those attuned to the highest standards of experience.

Italy, the long-standing frontrunner in European tourism, maintained a robust challenge in the GTC rankings. Rome logged 777 luxury nights, trailed by Milan with 725 and Naples with 679, underscoring the nation’s continuing dominance. Renowned for its monumental sites, encyclopedic museums, and distinguished retail districts, Italy consistently captivates high-net-worth travelers. Signature establishments—Hotel Eden, perched above the Roman rooftops, and the storied Passalacqua on the shores of Lake Como—retain their primacy, ensuring the country’s magnetic pull in the luxury segment remains undiminished.

France’s striking summer results, particularly in the luxury segment, reveal a decisive recalibration of traveler priorities, as Paris, Nice, and Marseille now outshine Italy’s principal cities in this category.

Luxury Travel Trends and the Role of GTC

In 2024, Global Travel Collection reported luxury sales exceeding $2.3 billion, including nearly 900 ultra-luxury itineraries priced above $100,000. GTC’s analytics reveal that high-net-worth travelers increasingly pursue extraordinary, unique moments, translating into an unrelenting appetite for premium accommodation, bespoke touring, and bespoke services that anticipate the sophisticated expectations of wealthy guests. The average hotel rate in this segment has climbed to $1,400 nightly. As the luxury sector expands, the contest between France and Italy intensifies. Nonetheless, France’s relentless capital in infrastructure, hospitality, and service mastery is yielding tangible dividends, particularly in Paris, Nice, and Marseille.

The Future of Luxury Tourism in France

France’s trajectory in the luxury tourism sector continues to reflect both stability and growth. While Paris retains its iconic allure, the ascendance of destinations such as Nice and Marseille within luxury travel indices signals a widening of the luxury map, allowing visitors to experience premium hospitality in both historic and coastal contexts. Together, their combination of five-star hotels, bespoke cultural programmes, and exceptional natural beauty ensures France’s competitiveness as a preferred choice for discerning travelers.

The French tourism sector’s deliberate investment in guest-oriented enhancements—tailored itineraries, outstanding concierge services, and the creation of exclusive cultural and recreational offerings—reinforces the country’s position as a benchmark for luxury travel. International visitors are thus met with an extensive menu of elite experiences designed to resonate with the refined preferences of modern luxury consumers.

Conclusion

The upsurge in luxury hotel reservations and overall travel activity recorded in France for 2024 underscores its ascending role in the global luxury tourism arena. Increased arrivals to Paris, Nice, and Marseille illustrate the country’s multifaceted allure, which marries metropolitan sophistication with the effortless charm of the Mediterranean. For travelers whose expectations are set by the highest standards of culture, gastronomy, and comfort, France continues to offer one of the world’s most compelling luxury tourism experiences.