French tourism suffers losses amid Olympic season.

Contrary to the expectations of the French government and tourism industry, the 2024 Summer Olympic Games currently taking place in Paris have not generated a "boom" in the number of domestic and international tourists.

Locals and tourists take commemorative photos from afar as Trocadero Square and the Iena Bridge leading to the Eiffel Tower have been repurposed for Olympic Games activities. Photo: Thu Ha/VNA

John Grant, chief analyst at aviation research firm OAG, said there is a common misconception that Olympic host cities will see a surge in visitors during the Games.

He said London (England), Athens (Greece), and Atlanta (USA) all saw a drop in tourist numbers when these cities hosted the Olympic Games. The world's premier sporting event is often more "academic," geared towards athletes and those involved, rather than entertainment. Therefore, it is unlikely to attract tourists as much as festivals and entertainment events.

Major airlines are collectively forecasting a decline in revenue during the Olympic Games (July 26-August 11). On July 25, Air France announced a projected revenue drop of 150-179 million euros (163-184 million USD) in the third quarter of 2024 due to weak demand for flights to Paris this summer.

Earlier, on July 1st, Air France also addressed this issue, revealing that passenger traffic to and from Paris was declining compared to other major European cities, indicating "a significant avoidance of Paris".

Similarly, Delta Air Lines also predicted a loss of up to $100 million due to reduced passenger numbers to France during the 2024 Olympics. Delta Air Lines CEO Ed Bastian said, "Unless you're going to the Olympics, people aren't going to Paris."

In a report released in June 2024, the Paris Tourism Council estimated that the number of international visitors arriving in the city by air during the Olympic Games would decrease by 8% in June and nearly 15% in July, compared to the same period in 2023.

According to the Paris Tourism Council, hotels are also being hit hard by the drop in tourist numbers this summer, with occupancy rates expected to fall to 60% by early July.

Like airlines, many hotels had previously planned to raise room rates to capitalize on the tourism boom, but in reality had to lower prices after the spring season, as they saw bookings slow down.

Airbnb hosts (those who rent out rooms/apartments on the online rental platform Airbnb) are also making efforts to lower prices to attract renters. Some places have even reduced apartment rental prices by more than 50%.

An Airbnb representative said that many new homeowners listed their apartments/rooms on the platform in the months leading up to the Olympics. But the number of stays in recent weeks "has never been higher than in previous weeks."

The low attendance figures are also reflected in the ticket sales for matches and events within the 2024 Olympic Games. The Paris press office reported that, out of 10 million tickets issued as of July 25th, 8.95 million had been sold, but there was a surplus of high-priced tickets due to low demand.

In an era where sports tourism is booming, many have expressed surprise that a major sporting event like the Olympics hasn't generated the same level of tourism. But expert Grant explains, "The Olympics are too general." He says, "The Games are too broad…it's not a specific event," and "there might be a gold medal in tennis, but that's not Wimbledon."

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