‘Why I regret staying in Paris for the Olympics’ – tourism to host city down despite games

All eyes are currently on Paris as the French capital hosts the  2024 Olympic games. Not everyone is happy, however, with some tourists bemoaning the difficulty of navigating the city during the games.

On TikTok one user joked that tourists were like “rats in cages” as she showed viewers how she was unable to cross the road due to large roadblocks.

@itsmandycherie Paris has us like rats in cages #paris #olympics #parisian #paris2024 ♬ original sound – Mandy Cherie

Whilst hosting the Olympics has traditionally been seen as giving tourism boost, the number of visitors to Paris is reportedly down as other forms of tourism shun the busy city.

John Grant, chief analyst at the aviation intelligence company OAG told euronews.com: “The phenomena of the Olympics is that the local market doesn’t travel,” he said. Plus, “the regular business traveller who would normally be travelling during that moment in time stops [and] stays at home.”

London, Athens, and Atlanta all saw a decrease in tourism when they hosted the summer games, he said. “It just never quite achieves and delivers what’s expected.”

A decrease in tourism to Paris was felt across both the aviation industry and the hotel and short-term rental industry.

AirFrance-KLM said last week that it was expecting a third-quarter drop in its unit revenues from €170m to €150m due to a decrease in demand.

Meanwhile, lodging bookings for the city made during the first six months of this year have decreased by 14 per cent compared to the same period last year, Similarweb data shows.

What are the long-term benefits of hosting the games?

Still, it is important not to forget the wider impact of the Olympics. Speaking to Travel Weekly, Monica Chien who is an associate professor at the University of Queensland, pointed out the long-term benefits of the games.

These include:

• Economic benefits in terms of job creation and increase spending in hotels, retails, and entertainment.
• New or enhanced infrastructure (e.g., airport)
• Sports stadiums or arenas for future events or business
• Enhanced capacity in hosting future events
• Increased tourist arrivals
• Improved destination image
• Soft power exercised by the host nation
• Improved international trade and foreign investment
• Opportunities for education and upskilling (e.g., customer service)
• Establishment of volunteering program or system
• Cross-cultural understanding and exchange
• Enhanced community pride and cohesion
• Improvement in understanding environmental issues
• Boost in sport participation or physical activities
• Urban regeneration or regional revitalisation

“There are many benefits for the Olympic and Paralympic Games host destinations, and these have been documented in the literature. Most of these benefits accrue throughout the event, and if planned and leveraged well, can become long-term benefits,” she said.