High costs, safety worries hurt Paris Games bookings

By: asiaone.com

Jul 04 2024
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High costs, safety worries hurt Paris Games bookings — High costs, safety worries hur

LONDON/NEW YORK - Spiralling travel and accommodation costs, French political tumult and security concerns are discouraging many sports fans and visitors from attending the Paris Olympic Games this summer.

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 shows hotel reservations have dropped since last year for the weeks ahead of the Olympics, along with a 25 per cent revenue decline for much of June.