Olympic Summer in Paris 2024

OLYMPIC SUMMER IN PARIS 2024

On September 6th, 2024, the world celebrated the success of the Summer Olympics: after ten years of planning, the magic of the Olympic Games (JO2024) unfolded thanks to the Olympic Committee’s and local government’s savvy decision to deploy the city itself as a player on the international sports scene. The opening and closing ceremonies along the Seine River, at the Place de la Concorde and at the Stade de France were enthralling. Most importantly, the messages of inclusivity and sustainability during the ceremonies promoted a modern France, ready to welcome the world. Specific venues, the luminous Olympic torch at the Tuileries Gardens, volleyball under the shadow of the Tour Eiffel, equestrian jumping at Versailles, and swordsmanship at the Grand Palais, melded present and past into a celebratory global spectacle. The television events, that included almost daily birds-eye views via drone photography, transported armchair tourists and sports fans alike to Paris and other venues including Marseille, Bordeaux and Tahiti. NBCUniversal, the Olympics exclusive media partner, averaged 30.6 Million Olympics viewers per day. How to assess the success of the games for tourist professionals is perhaps less magical but does provides some lessons for other European cities who wish to host in the future.

Prior to the Games:

For many tourist industries, the lead up to the summer was filled with anxiety: information was not available, the central hub, Spot 24 was not open; even acquiring information about tickets and security was a battle for guides who wanted to inform their clients. At the same time, the roll out of programming and the construction of venues in the city center was frustrating, as this YouTube video by an American tourist recounted: https://youtu.be/cy3JWSmSFKw. It was only by springtime that the local tourist guides were finally able to have access to a map of closed or opened districts for the games, and that rumours of closed museums were put to an end with reliable information from the Paris City Council. Once the Games began, the online tickets, the ticketing app, and the recruitment of volunteers and an extensive police force made the Games one of the most efficient events in recent memory.

The Olympic Summer

Whilst watching or attending the events inspired athletes worldwide, the synergy between athletes and fans was palpable. The fan zones throughout the city and the CLUBS, especially the CLUB FRANCE, were critical venues for the participation in the very real joy inspired by the competitions. These zones enabled athletes connect to their fans. This collective sharing was contagious and was one of the most appreciated benefits of the Games. According to the Paris Convention and Visitors Bureau, Paris saw 11.2 million visitors between July 23rd and August 11th, with or without a ticket for the Games, 85% of whom were French, 15% were foreign. One of the aims of this Olympic Games was to include suburban venues (such as a new aqua center in Saint Denis) as well as promoting venues across France and outside the metropolitan district. We hope that there will be long lasting benefits.

Nonetheless, for cultural tourist guides, the employment during the summer games was deceiving. Major monuments and museums reported significant drops in visitors ( -14% at the Louvre, -28 % at the Centre Pompidou, -26% at the Musée d’Orsay). One venue increased: over 50% at Basilica Saint Denis, which is promising for the future of this important site of French patrimony. During the Olympic games, guides specialising in cultural tourism were not able to find enough work to meet their best expectations. The FNGIC proposed a series of podcasts called OLYMPIA https://open.spotify.com/show/592XKOAr3DMKmnLkzrR21x highlighting the expertise of the guide conferenciers. It is worth noting that many small business suffered terribly, as recounted by Amanda Banker, an expat entrepreneur: https://hipparis.com/expat-entrepreneurs-in-paris-boneshaker-doughnuts/

The Future:

While the city of Paris certainly capitalised on its notoriety as the most popular tourist capital in the world, the benefits after the Olympic Games are harder to discern. Certainly, the sumptuous images will attract new travellers, especially appealing to younger audiences who may be encouraged to visit the historical monuments that were backdrops to the sporting events. The city will hopefully benefit from improvement to its infrastructure: a direct metro line from Orly airport and other investments in suburban transport will be beneficial for years to come. The reduced crowds during the Games may inspire museums to consider ways to improve the visitor experience during the peak seasons: flexible hours and extended hours could help modulate the overflow of visitors in peak seasons. While cynics continue to question the millions of euros invested in cleaning the Seine River, plans for the future swimming in the river will certainly attract a younger crowd. Most importantly, the success of the Para Olympic games will hopefully inspire city planners to achieve mobility access for all, a desperate need for the future of the capital.

Thanks to Théo Abramowicz, Astrid Pastre, and Alejandra Saenz de Miera whose comments improved this letter.

Links
https://parisjetaime.com/ Office of Tourism and Congress of Paris (OTCP)
https://fngic.fr/fr
FNGIC Fédération Nationale des Guides Interprètes et Conférenciers