Olympic Games Paris 2024 – a tourism success

Paris je t’aime – tourist office, shares its preliminary tourism assessment of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.

VISITORS NUMBERS

The global number of visitors in the Greater Paris metropolitan area during the Olympic Games (23 July – 11 August) estimated to date is 11,2 million visitors (tourists, day-trippers, residents). These numbers, in line with our overall estimate of 11,3 million visitors, are up +4% vs 2023.

Overall, French visitors (tourists, day-trippers and residents) amount to 85% of all visitors to the Olympic Games. 

TOURISTS

Tourists account for 27,7 % of visitors, i.e. 3,1M people (vs 2,6M in 2023, up +19,2%)

They break down into :

• 1,4M French tourists (45 %) – vs 1,1M in 2023 (+27% vs 2023)
• 1,7M international tourists (55 %) – vs 1,5M in 2023 (+13% vs 2023)

Top three foreign markets: 

• United States: 230 000 tourists (13,5 % of foreigners), +21 % vs 2023
• Germany: 130 000 tourists (7,6 % of foreigners), +42 % vs 2023
• United Kingdom: 115 000 tourists (6,8 % of foreigners), +21 % vs 2023

The Games also boosted other long-haul markets, which showed significant growth:

• Brazil: 107 000 tourists, +109,4 % vs 2023
• China : 82 000 tourists, +64,9 % vs 2023
• Japan : 47 000 tourists, +94 % vs 2023

DAY-TRIPPERS

Source : Orange/Paris je t’aime.

The day-trippers (visitors who come for one day, mostly French, coming from outside Ile-de-France) account for 27,7% of visitors in Greater Paris, i.e. 3,1M day-trippers (vs 3,1M in 2023).

Increases were seen in départements with regional metropolitan areas: 

• Rhône +25,7%
• Gironde +26%
• Haute-Garonne +68%

ILE-DE-FRANCE RESIDENTS

Ile-de-France residents account for 44,6% of visitors, i.e. 5,0M people, numbers comparable to those of a traditional summer. 

Less present in inner Paris (-8,7% vs 2023), residents enjoyed the Olympic venues and celebrations close to home. Day-trippers were up +9% in Villepinte (Arena Paris Nord), with peaks of +33% and +34% on July 29 and 31 (boxing). They increased by +10% in Versailles (equestrian), with a peak on the first Sunday, during the cross-country competition (+39%). In Saint-Denis Stade de France, Centre Aquatique), local day-trippers were up +40%.

A LONGER DURATION OF STAY :

• French: 3,1 nights vs 2,1 in 2023
• Foreigners: 2,9 nights vs 2,5 in 2023:

United States: 2,9 nuits vs 2,5 en 2023

Germany: 2,9 nuits vs 1,9 en 2023

United Kingdom: 2,9 nuits vs 1,9 en 2023

ACCOMODATION:

With the “Olympic Games effect”, the whole of the Paris region benefited from a positive trend in visitor numbers, in both Olympic and non-Olympic areas. Hotel occupancy rates are up in all the départements of the inner suburbs: +13,1 points in Seine-Saint-Denis, +8,3 points in Val-de-Marne, +13,1 points in Hauts-de-Seine.

The hotel occupancy rate in inner Paris was 84% from 23 July to 6 August, up 10,1 points vs 2023.

The biggest increase is for the high-end market, with an occupancy rate of 85,5%, up 16,5 points vs 2023.

The arrondissements most visited by foreign touists (23 July – 05 August, all accommodation combined, commercial and non-commercial) are:

• Paris 15th : 5,9 % of overnights in Greater Paris (+24 % vs 2023)
• Paris 8th : 5,2 % of overnights in Greater Paris (+6 % vs 2023)
• Paris 9th : 4,8 % of overnight in Greater Paris (+18 % vs 2023)

Note: strong growth in foreign overnight stay in Saint-Denis: +205% vs 2023.

SUMMER OVERVIEW

Between the Olympic Games and the Paralympic Games (12 August – 27 August), international air arrivals are expected to rise by +7,9% vs 2023, with: 

• +16,1 % for North America (108 000 arrivals)
• +4,3 % for Europe (76 000 arrivals)

Overall tourist numbers for summer 2024 (July, August, September) are expected to be similar to the previous year with 9,5M tourists.