France

===Tourism===
{{Main|Tourism in France}}
{{Multiple image
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| image1            = Paris_vue_d'ensemble_tour_Eiffel.jpg
| caption1          = The [[Eiffel Tower]] is the world's most-visited paid monument, an icon of both Paris and France.
| image2            = Hafen_von_Nizza.jpg
| caption2          = [[Nice]] on the [[French Riviera]]
| image3            = Mont-Saint-Michel vu du ciel.jpg
| caption3          = [[Mont-Saint-Michel]] and [[Mont-Saint-Michel Bay|its bay]] were listed as [[UNESCO]] [[World Heritage Site]]s in 1979.
}}

With 89&nbsp;million international tourist arrivals in 2018,<ref name="tourism.stat">{{Cite book |url=https://www.e-unwto.org/doi/pdf/10.18111/9789284421152 |publisher=United Nations World Tourism Organization |year=2019 |isbn=978-92-844-2114-5 |edition=2019 |page=9 |doi=10.18111/9789284421152 |s2cid=240665765 |title=International Tourism Highlights, 2019 Edition }}</ref> France is the world's [[World Tourism rankings|top tourist destination]], ahead of Spain (83&nbsp;million) and the United States (80&nbsp;million). However, it ranks third in tourism-derived income due to the shorter duration of visits.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Dilorenzo |first=Sarah |date=18 July 2013 |title=France learns to speak 'touriste' |agency=Associated Press |url=http://bigstory.ap.org/article/france-learns-speak-touriste-0 |url-status=dead |access-date=20 July 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130822043825/http://bigstory.ap.org/article/france-learns-speak-touriste-0 |archive-date=22 August 2013}}</ref> The most popular tourist sites include (annual visitors): [[Eiffel Tower]] (6.2&nbsp;million), [[Palace of Versailles|Château de Versailles]] (2.8&nbsp;million), {{Lang|fr|[[National Museum of Natural History (France)|Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle]]|italic=no}} (2&nbsp;million), [[Pont du Gard]] (1.5&nbsp;million), [[Arc de Triomphe]] (1.2&nbsp;million), [[Mont Saint-Michel]] (1&nbsp;million), [[Sainte-Chapelle]] (683,000), [[Château du Haut-Kœnigsbourg]] (549,000), [[Puy de Dôme]] (500,000), [[Musée Picasso]] (441,000), and [[Carcassonne]] (362,000).<ref>{{Cite web |year=2003 |title=Fréquentation des musées et des bâtiments historiques |trans-title=Frequentation of museums and historic buildings |url=http://www2.culture.gouv.fr/deps/mini_chiff_03/fr/musee.htm |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071224180811/http://www2.culture.gouv.fr/deps/mini_chiff_03/fr/musee.htm |archive-date=24 December 2007 |language=fr}}</ref>

France, especially Paris, has some of the world's largest and most renowned museums, including the [[Louvre]], which is the [[List of most visited art museums in the world|most visited art museum in the world]] (7.7&nbsp;million visitors in 2022), the [[Musée d'Orsay]] (3.3&nbsp;million), mostly devoted to [[Impressionism]], the [[Musée de l'Orangerie]] (1.02&nbsp;million), which is home to eight large [[Water Lilies (Monet series)|Water Lily]] murals by [[Claude Monet]], as well as the [[Centre Georges Pompidou]] (3&nbsp;million), dedicated to [[contemporary art]]. [[Disneyland Paris]] is Europe's most popular theme park, with 15&nbsp;million combined visitors to the resort's [[Disneyland Park (Paris)|Disneyland Park]] and [[Walt Disney Studios Park]] in 2009.<ref>{{Cite web |year=2009 |editor-first=Judith |editor-last=Rubin |title=TEA/AECOM Attraction Attendance Report for 2009 |url=http://www.themeit.com/etea/2009report.pdf |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100602032710/http://www.themeit.com/etea/2009report.pdf |archive-date=2 June 2010 |access-date=7 October 2010 |publisher=Themed Entertainment Association}}</ref>

With more than 10 million tourists a year, the [[French Riviera]] (French: ''Côte d'Azur''), in Southeast France, is the second leading tourist destination in the country, after the [[Île-de-France|Paris Region]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=The French Riviera Tourist Board |url=http://www.frenchriviera-tourism.com/regional-tourism-organization/the-french-riviera-tourist-board-06_191.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110425152011/http://www.frenchriviera-tourism.com/regional-tourism-organization/the-french-riviera-tourist-board-06_191.html |archive-date=25 April 2011 |access-date=23 January 2011 |website=CÔTE D'AZUR}}</ref> It benefits from 300 days of sunshine per year, {{Convert|115|km}} of coastline and beaches, 18 golf courses, 14 ski resorts and 3,000 restaurants.<ref name="CAEDA"/>{{Rp|31}} Each year the ''Côte d'Azur'' hosts 50% of the world's [[Luxury yacht|superyacht]] fleet.<ref name="CAEDA">{{Cite web |title=Présentation de la Côte d'Azur |trans-title=Presentation of the French Riviera |url=http://www.crdp-nice.net/dp/IMG/pdf/Kit_Info_Cote_d_Azur_FR_Version_sept_07.pdf |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100704173303/http://www.crdp-nice.net/dp/IMG/pdf/Kit_Info_Cote_d_Azur_FR_Version_sept_07.pdf |archive-date=4 July 2010 |publisher=Côte d'Azur Economic Development Agency |language=fr}}</ref>{{Rp|66}}

With 6 million tourists a year, the [[Châteaux of the Loire Valley|castles of the Loire Valley]] (French: ''châteaux'') and the [[Loire Valley]] itself are the third leading tourist destination in France;<ref>{{Cite news |last=Foucher |title=Tourism: The Loire Valley, an intoxicating destination for visitors |language=fr |work=TourMaG.com, 1er journal des professionnels du tourisme francophone |url=https://www.tourmag.com/Tourism-The-Loire-Valley-an-intoxicating-destination-for-visitors_a67875.html |access-date=10 October 2018}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |date=12 July 2017 |title=Chateaux deluxe: 5 best Loire Valley castles |publisher=CNN |url=https://edition.cnn.com/travel/article/loire-valley-castles/index.html |access-date=10 October 2018}}</ref> this [[World Heritage Site]] is noteworthy for its architectural heritage, in its historic towns but in particular its castles, such as the [[Château]]x d'[[Château d'Amboise|Amboise]], de [[Château de Chambord|Chambord]], d'[[Château d'Ussé|Ussé]], de [[Château de Villandry|Villandry]], [[Château de Chenonceau|Chenonceau]] and [[Château de Montsoreau|Montsoreau]]. The [[Château de Chantilly]], [[Palace of Versailles|Versailles]] and [[Vaux-le-Vicomte]], all three located near Paris, are also visitor attractions.

France has 52 sites inscribed in [[List of World Heritage Sites in France|UNESCO's World Heritage List]] and features cities of high cultural interest, beaches and seaside resorts, ski resorts, as well as rural regions that many enjoy for their beauty and tranquillity ([[Ecotourism|green tourism]]). Small and picturesque French villages are promoted through the association {{Lang|fr|[[Les Plus Beaux Villages de France]]}} (literally "The Most Beautiful Villages of France"). The "[[Remarkable Gardens of France|Remarkable Gardens]]" label is a list of the over 200 gardens classified by the [[Ministry of Culture (France)|Ministry of Culture]]. This label is intended to protect and promote remarkable gardens and parks. France attracts many religious [[Christian pilgrimage|pilgrims]] on their [[Way of St. James|way to St. James]], or to [[Lourdes]], a town in the [[Hautes-Pyrénées]] that hosts several million visitors a year.