The French National Tourist Office, Atout France, has conducted research into the country’s potential as a touristic destination for the new middle class that are forming in Malaysia, Indonesia and Thailand.

The study, which was organised by Atout France in partnership with Accor and Paris Airport, aimed to identify the tourist potential of these three markets, where increased spending power is making European holiday destinations a more affordable experience.

The new middle class represents over 237 million people in these three countries, about 68% of their total population. The report identifies a potential audience of 24.5million who can afford to travel to Europe in 2015, rising to 30.8million by 2020. This is excellent news for owners of homes in France who are looking for a growing audience of tourists who may opt to rent property in their destination country.

The research estimates that within the next five years the annual growth rate of Indonesia is 6.6%, of Thailand 6% and Malaysia 5.3%.