Tourism in Paris approaches pre-Covid levels
Paris counted over 11 million tourists in the first quarter of 2023, as the capital stays on track to almost touch pre-pandemic tourism levels.
Tourism is rebounding in France's capital, counting over 11.6 million visitors in the first quarter of 2023, just 2.5 percent lower than in 2019 before the start of the Covid-19 pandemic.
During a press briefing on Wednesday, Paris' deputy mayor in charge of tourism, Frédéric Hocquard, announced that there had been a 27.2 percent increase in the number people who visited the greater Paris area from January to April 2023 when compared with the same period in 2022.
Overall French tourism has returned to pre-pandemic levels, but Paris had lagged behind, in part because a lot of its tourists come from the US, China and Japan, which were among the last countries in the world to lift Covid-related travel restrictions.
Hocquard explained that more than half (53.3 percent) of the tourists who visited Paris in the first quarter of 2023 are French, which was also typical of pre-Covid tourism patterns. As for foreign tourists, the largest bloc came from the United States, at 13 percent, which was followed by the United Kingdom, Germany, Italy and Brazil.
Based on data from the first quarter, city officials expect that there could be more than 37 million tourists who visit the greater Paris area in 2023, slightly below the figure of 38.5 million from 2019.
READ MORE: Vineyards, mountains and islands - how to plan a car-free trip to France
As for the rest of the country - France has seen a significant tourism rebound. In 2022, the country's tourism body Atout France found that tourists in France spent a record €58 billion. This is €1.2 billion higher than the pre-pandemic tourist spend, although the report's authors noted that inflation has had an impact in prices compared to 2019.
According to Euronews, France welcomed 66.6 million international visitors in 2022, putting it on track to beat Spain as the world's most visited country, a status it had already claimed prior to the pandemic in 2019.
Overall, the French tourist industry accounts for 9.7 percent of the country's GDP, but the majority of that comes from domestic tourists - international tourism accounts for just 30 percent of that figure.
Shifts in tourism in Paris
Hocquard said that there have been changes in the tourism patterns in Paris - he noted a drop in tourism to the French capital from Asian countries such as China, South Korea and Japan when compared to 2019, but an increase in visits from European countries like Spain, Italy, Portugal and Austria.
Corinne Menegaux, who heads up the Paris Tourism Office, told AFP that Paris is 88 percent lower than pre-Covid levels when it comes to Asian tourists, which she said can be largely explained by "a lack of flights, high ticket prices, and delays in granting visas".
The city's tourism office also referenced another shift: average spending. International tourists have spent more on average than in 2019, particularly those coming from the United States, followed by visitors from Spain.
In 2022, Americans were reported to have spent an average of €400 per day in France, racking up an average total bill of €7,650 (which includes the cost of flying to and from the United States).
Some of this increase can be attributed to inflation. Corinne Menegaux told AFP that prices for hotel stays have "increased by 29 percent in four years", averaging at €189 per night.
"There is the inflation effect, but we also see a similar increase in all capital cities," Menegaux told AFP.
Hocquard also noted that business overnight stays in Paris hotels have almost returned to pre-pandemic levels as well.
READ MORE: Hotels, tickets and scams: What to know about visiting Paris for the 2024 Olympics
The capital expects to welcome 10 million visitors during the Olympic and Paralympic Games next summer, but Hocquard said that it was expected that some regular tourists would stay away during the Games, balancing out the numbers.
"We do not expect to double our number of tourists in Paris”, Hocquard said. Menegaux echoed these sentiments, and said that she is not expecting to see a 'price explosion' in Paris during the Games.
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Tourism is rebounding in France's capital, counting over 11.6 million visitors in the first quarter of 2023, just 2.5 percent lower than in 2019 before the start of the Covid-19 pandemic.
During a press briefing on Wednesday, Paris' deputy mayor in charge of tourism, Frédéric Hocquard, announced that there had been a 27.2 percent increase in the number people who visited the greater Paris area from January to April 2023 when compared with the same period in 2022.
Overall French tourism has returned to pre-pandemic levels, but Paris had lagged behind, in part because a lot of its tourists come from the US, China and Japan, which were among the last countries in the world to lift Covid-related travel restrictions.
Hocquard explained that more than half (53.3 percent) of the tourists who visited Paris in the first quarter of 2023 are French, which was also typical of pre-Covid tourism patterns. As for foreign tourists, the largest bloc came from the United States, at 13 percent, which was followed by the United Kingdom, Germany, Italy and Brazil.
Based on data from the first quarter, city officials expect that there could be more than 37 million tourists who visit the greater Paris area in 2023, slightly below the figure of 38.5 million from 2019.
READ MORE: Vineyards, mountains and islands - how to plan a car-free trip to France
As for the rest of the country - France has seen a significant tourism rebound. In 2022, the country's tourism body Atout France found that tourists in France spent a record €58 billion. This is €1.2 billion higher than the pre-pandemic tourist spend, although the report's authors noted that inflation has had an impact in prices compared to 2019.
According to Euronews, France welcomed 66.6 million international visitors in 2022, putting it on track to beat Spain as the world's most visited country, a status it had already claimed prior to the pandemic in 2019.
Overall, the French tourist industry accounts for 9.7 percent of the country's GDP, but the majority of that comes from domestic tourists - international tourism accounts for just 30 percent of that figure.
Shifts in tourism in Paris
Hocquard said that there have been changes in the tourism patterns in Paris - he noted a drop in tourism to the French capital from Asian countries such as China, South Korea and Japan when compared to 2019, but an increase in visits from European countries like Spain, Italy, Portugal and Austria.
Corinne Menegaux, who heads up the Paris Tourism Office, told AFP that Paris is 88 percent lower than pre-Covid levels when it comes to Asian tourists, which she said can be largely explained by "a lack of flights, high ticket prices, and delays in granting visas".
The city's tourism office also referenced another shift: average spending. International tourists have spent more on average than in 2019, particularly those coming from the United States, followed by visitors from Spain.
In 2022, Americans were reported to have spent an average of €400 per day in France, racking up an average total bill of €7,650 (which includes the cost of flying to and from the United States).
Some of this increase can be attributed to inflation. Corinne Menegaux told AFP that prices for hotel stays have "increased by 29 percent in four years", averaging at €189 per night.
"There is the inflation effect, but we also see a similar increase in all capital cities," Menegaux told AFP.
Hocquard also noted that business overnight stays in Paris hotels have almost returned to pre-pandemic levels as well.
READ MORE: Hotels, tickets and scams: What to know about visiting Paris for the 2024 Olympics
The capital expects to welcome 10 million visitors during the Olympic and Paralympic Games next summer, but Hocquard said that it was expected that some regular tourists would stay away during the Games, balancing out the numbers.
"We do not expect to double our number of tourists in Paris”, Hocquard said. Menegaux echoed these sentiments, and said that she is not expecting to see a 'price explosion' in Paris during the Games.
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