On their marks? A little less than four months before the start of the Olympic Games, hoteliers and restaurateurs say they are “ready” for the event even if concerns remain about the economic fallout, employers’ organizations in the sector told the National Assembly on Wednesday. They were heard by MP Belkhir Belhaddad (Renaissance) as part of the parliamentary working group on the preparation of the Olympic and Paralympic Games.
“We think we are ready even if we have questions about the different flows and the different places where commercial activity will take place,” said David Zenouda, a leader of the Paris branch of the Union of Trades and Trades. hotel industries (UMIH). “We had recruitment difficulties in previous years, it is improving. (…) We anticipated paid leave for our staff to have enough people available to welcome tourists,” he continued.
“We think that the flow between Parisians who are leaving and tourists who will come will be balanced” and “will not degrade the conditions for welcoming tourists”. “We will not be in saturation on reservation rates. For the moment, optimism is required but we are not certain that economic success will be there,” he added. “Today, the profession is ready,” added Pascal Mousset, president of the Ile-de-France branch of the French hotel and restaurant group (GHR), regretting for his part the calls for teleworking, which harm the preparation of restaurateurs.
According to figures from the MKG firm cited during the hearing, the reservation rate is today 64.5% in Ile-de-France hotels during the Olympics period and 31.1% during the Paralympic Games. Usually in summer, occupancy rates in Paris are on average around 70%, according to professionals.
“There are rooms left, prices may fluctuate downwards,” according to David Zenouda. “We are at 1.8, 1.9 times the usual price for the fortnight of the Olympics, we anticipate a not-so-excellent year for accommodation,” estimates Pascal Mousset. “International tourism will be less present, but it generates more income. We will have French tourism which spends a little less,” he underlined. According to the latest barometer from the tourist office published at the end of March, the price of Ile-de-France hotels fell by 13.5% compared to the month before for the Olympic period (July 26 to August 11), to 452.90 euros. on average, and 12.2% for the Paralympic Games (August 28 to September 8), to 223.90 euros.