High costs, safety worries hurt Paris Olympic Games bookings
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Paris has a handful of factors going against it that have held down bookings.
PHOTO: REUTERS
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LONDON – Spiralling travel and accommodation costs, French political tumult and security concerns are discouraging many sports fans and visitors from attending the Paris Olympics.
Cities that win a coveted chance to host the world’s biggest sporting event often do so on expectations that they will attract throngs of visitors to showcase themselves and boost their economy. But Paris has a handful of factors going against it that have held down bookings.
Flight bookings to the French capital – an indicator of tourist activity – are expected to increase by 10 per cent year-on-year from June 6 onwards, according to flight ticketing data firm ForwardKeys.
That is a stark contrast to the 115 per cent increase in tourist arrivals for the 2016 Rio Games. Even the Tokyo Games, held during the Covid-19 pandemic, saw a 20 per cent increase, ForwardKeys said.
Data from Paris-based consultancy MKG showed that hotel reservations have dropped since 2023 for the weeks ahead of the July 26-Aug 11 Games, along with a 25 per cent revenue decline for much of June.
The data alongside interviews with travel agents, sports fans and ticket sellers show high prices and security concerns are making even the most ardent Olympic fans reluctant to attend.
“Right now, it’s the lowest bookings we’ve seen in 25 years for almost any sports event,” Alan Bachand, a sports travel agent based in the United States, told Reuters.
The findings underscore the challenges major cities face in hosting international sporting events – they are already crowded and expensive, scaring off more price-conscious consumers.
They also show that unrelenting travel demand, with travellers willing to splash cash on experiences rather than goods in the wake of the pandemic, is slowing as they become more sensitive to increased prices.
London experienced something similar in 2012. It only saw a 3 per cent increase in arrivals, as many tourists steered clear of a city that would normally be inundated with tourists over the summer.
Still, it will be a blow for Paris – one study recently estimated the Games would generate up to US$12 billion (S$16.2 billion) in economic benefits to the city.
Average hotel prices between July 26 and Aug 11 have surged by 70 per cent to €342 (S$500) a night from 2023, according to the Paris tourist office.
Even wealthier visitors have been put off.
Bachand said four-star hotels were charging up to €1,000 a night during the competition, with many clients shying away as a result.
Even so, Airbnb says it has seen record bookings. As of March, nights booked in the Paris region during the Games were 400 per cent higher than the same time a year ago.
However, Air France-KLM said on July 1 it expected weaker-than-expected summer sales as travellers avoid the Olympics.
Global Travel Moments, a luxury travel agency, said clients had also cited security worries in addition to pricing as a reason to postpone their trips.
France is on its highest level of security alert as the Games approach, with the country additionally undergoing snap legislative elections.
Islamist terrorism is the main security worry, Paris’ chief of police Laurent Nunez said in June.
“People are giving it a wide berth given the current climate,” said Duncan Greenfield-Turk, Global Travel Moments’ chief travel designer, citing challenges like the election called by President Emmanuel Macron. REUTERS
