The start of the Paris Olympics begins in 15 days, on July 26, 2024. And everywhere in Paris, people are getting ready. Workers are hard at work setting up the last sports facilities, but not everyone is happy, starting with the shopkeepers on the Île de la Cité.
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On one side, Notre-Dame Cathedral, on the other, Sainte-Chapelle. Visitors to the French capital know that the Île de la Cité, in the heart of historic Paris, is the beating heart of tourism for the city. But as the Olympic Games approach, the cobbled streets are transformed into a veritable open-air construction sitethe sound of the accordion players is gradually covered by incessant construction site noises. Here and there, we come across a jumble of barriers or large metal installations.
It is a disenchantment
All this commotion is clearly not good for tourism. We have difficulty placing our customers on the terracebreathes Laurent, who works in a café on the Île de la Cité, whereWe’re not going to put them in front of a barrier. ! ». For several days, a water pump has even been installed on the terrace of his establishment to allow temporary toilets to be installed there. This is simply not acceptable for tourists who come to discover Paris and the beauty of the capital. ” he confides.
The situation is the same on the nearby Île Saint-Louis. As proof of this disaffection of tourists for Paris, the terraces of this affluent island, usually packed in the middle of July, are abnormally sparse. It is a disenchantment “, assures Laurent. For the restaurateurs of the capital, who thought they would benefit from the “Olympic effect”, it is a cold shower. The day of the opening ceremonyon July 26, they will even have to close their doors by order of the prefecture.
Some traders think they will have to close
It’s not just restaurateurs who are worried. Shopkeepers on these two islands are also sounding the alarm. They denounce traffic restrictions that deprive them of their customers and a system that is too complicated to access the center of Paris.
A stone’s throw from Notre-Dame Cathedral, Betty, the unwavering florist at the Elisabeth II flower market, is very worried about this summer: ” We’re just going to have to close downshe growls, It’s too crowded, people can’t come ! ». This trader also denounces the lack of communication with the authorities: “ They should have brought us together six months ago to discuss this, instead of presenting us with a fait accompli. “.
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The lack of visitors due to the Olympic Games does not stop there. Throughout the capital, the tourism sector is running at a slow pace. This July, hotels are struggling to fill their rooms. According to Franck Delveau, president of the union of hotel trades and industry, the booking rate should be around 70% for this month. This is not good for a July. ” he confides.
Traffic problems and uncertain political situation
How can this disaffection be explained? For Franck Delveau, several factors explain this lack of visitors: ” Today, Paris is impassable. The Concorde is closed, Trocadéro too, as are the low quays. With these traffic problems and works everywhere, many people no longer want to come to Paris.. » According to him, the political context also plays a role: ” we hear talk of strikes, of marches towards Matignon… All this little noise is detrimental to the arrival of tourists in Paris. »
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One question remains: was all this predictable? If we compare the Paris Olympics with those in London in 2012, the lighting is interesting. The English capital then attracted 100,000 visitors per day, compared to 300,000 foreign tourists daily in normal times.