PARIS (TVBS News) — The Olympic Games in Paris began less than a week ago with an emotionally charged ceremony, attracting millions of sports enthusiasts from around the world. However, the festivities seem to have also deterred visitors from the city. Crowd levels have significantly dropped at public parks, museums, and on public transportation in recent days.
Business owners in downtown Paris are unhappy about the lack of tourists. As a seasonal worker at Bakery Shop Odette, Coline T. explained that she thought she would d have a lot of customers and a lot of rush. "I was warned that it would be tough for two months, from June and July onwards. But in terms of figures and sales, it's not at all what I expected. Even in terms of influence on the street here in Notre Dame, a rather touristy area, we don't see many people in the streets. That's for sure."
Since the beginning of July, French media have reported a drop in restaurant and retail sales in Paris, citing the "crowding-out effect." According to Airbnb, almost 20% of available rentals are unreserved in Paris, disappointing some owners who expected to rent out their properties at full price. Wait times and crowd levels have significantly dropped at the Parisian Disney destination too, much to the pleasure of visitors.
Mr. Jiang, owner of Le Delice Restaurant, noted, "This year, I feel that there were fewer people at the Olympics. I don't know why. I feel that the French government has done a good job in terms of security, and the Olympic resources have been set up in such a way that it has to be secured a lot."
However, tourists have expressed mixed feelings about the situation. Terri P., a tourist from Washington, D.C., stressed that "the atmosphere is fun. Everybody's been easygoing, and the events have been really exciting. I feel safe. Yeah. I feel like there's a lot of eyes on everything. I feel like the fact that they're directing us where to go helps, uh, people keep in the areas they need to be. So it's very organized, and that feels safe, too. Having been in Paris before, it's not as busy as Paris usually is, which is kind of nice for people trying to find their way around."
Diana M. and her family from Indianapolis shared their experience, saying, "I felt incredibly safe. I thought they had done a wonderful job of setting up a perimeter and were very vigilant in watching who came and went. It's very nice." Her daughter remarked that the Olympics have added just that sense of control and security. "So, there's a few sites that you can't transport on and off the metro, but the signage is very welcoming and easy to follow. Uh, so it's very easy to navigate Paris. Crowds at the museums have been likely less, really, than what we've experienced in past summers. Especially at the Louvre, I think."
In the longer term, experts anticipate further growth in tourism linked to a "notoriety effect" resulting from the Olympics. As Paris is already well known, the image effects associated with the Olympic Games could spread to more destinations, further boosting tourism across the country.
Despite the current downturn, there is hope that the exposure from hosting the Olympics will attract more visitors in the future. The ongoing efforts to ensure safety and security are likely to build confidence among potential tourists, encouraging them to visit not only Paris but other parts of France as well.
