“The prospects for the Olympics and Paralympics are exciting, whatever some haters may say.” The author of this little sentence is the Minister Delegate in charge of Tourism Olivia Grégoire herself. Proof that the government can no longer take “OJ-bashing”. According to the executive, the feeling of the French is more positive, and the image of a Paris fled by its inhabitants as soon as the Olympic cauldron is lit is far from reality.
This Tuesday morning, during a briefing with journalists, Olivia Grégoire held up as proof a Harris Interactive study recently carried out for Atout France, France’s tourism development agency. According to this survey, nearly seven out of ten Ile-de-France residents (69%) plan to stay in Île-de-France for the period of the Olympic Games (July 26-August 11) and the Paralympic Games (August 28-September 8). A third of them (33%) say they want to take advantage of the biggest global sporting event. “The behavior of domestic customers shows the enthusiasm of Ile-de-France residents,” confirmed Caroline Leboucher, general director of Atout France.
If “there can be crowding out effects”, “there can also be compensation effects, with French people who would stay in Île-de-France to benefit from the Olympics”, pointed out Olivia Grégoire. “Let’s not ignore the number of Ile-de-France residents who intend to stay to take advantage of it,” insisted the delegate minister. In total, the Paris Tourist Office is counting on 16.1 million cumulative visitors during the Olympic and Paralympic Games, with a strong majority of nationals (89%), reported Atout France. “The volume of tourists could be up to 10% higher than that achieved during the same period in 2019,” indicated Caroline Leboucher.
Something to benefit hotel professionals in particular. In Paris, attendance at these establishments is expected to increase by 40% compared to a typical year. “A slight decline was observed at the beginning of July (-5%), but an increase in the rest of France during this period,” underlined Caroline Leboucher. We can see the effect of the multiplicity of reception points for the Olympic events and the passing of the flame.
The exceptional demand due to the Olympics encouraged hoteliers and Airbnb hosts to inflate their prices. But here too, the government tries to be reassuring, saying it observes “a decline in prices and price regulation on the market”. Mostly regarding hotels. Atout France notes “a drop in hotel rates linked to the return of blocks of rooms to the market”. “There is an increasingly strong awareness among professionals about the quality-price ratio, to which the French are sensitive,” confirmed François de Canson, president of ADN Tourisme. On the other hand, the price of rentals from person to person such as Airbnb was “multiplied by two” this summer compared to the summer of 2023, reported Caroline Leboucher.
