Are Tourists Turning Away from Paris?

The representatives of the tourism industry had hoped that the Olympics would draw numerous guests to Paris. However, this season, travelers are not rushing to the French capital.

With only a few days left until the opening of the summer Olympic Games in Paris, the tourism sector had high hopes for the upcoming sporting festival to attract a large number of visitors. Yet, tourists are not flocking to the French capital this season.

According to the owner of one of Paris's hotels, only 50% of rooms were booked in June. The trend seems to be ongoing, with even special offers and discounts failing to attract travelers.

Euronews reports that the hotel director stated, “I think the impact of the Olympic Games is counterproductive, as everything is very expensive. I believe tourists have been informed that movement restrictions will create difficulties, metro ticket prices will triple, and the tourist tax will be raised threefold. Furthermore, the weather here is poor, resulting in fewer people coming.”

In June of last year, Parisian hotels were filled to 80-90% capacity. The tourism sector is concerned that as the Olympic Games approach, the situation is unlikely to improve.