- In 2019, the destination Paris Île-de-France welcomed 50.6 million tourists who generated nearly 200 million overnight stays and 22 billion euros in revenue.
- Faced with the coronavirus crisis, the year 2020 is likely to be well below.
- Lack of foreign and business customers and lack of French tourists ... "It's the triple penalty" for Paris, comments Didier Arino, director general of the Protourisme cabinet.
The deserted “City of Light”? Hotels closed, historical monuments not very crowded and restaurants in need ... If the trough of summer is usually marked by a capital emptied of its inhabitants but replaced by tourists, this year, the Parisian postcard could look more like the heyday of the confinement than in previous summers. At issue: the coronavirus crisis.
In 2019, the destination Paris Ile-de-France welcomed 50.6 million tourists who generated 196.4 million overnight stays and 21.9 billion euros in revenue, according to figures from the Regional Tourism Committee (CRT) . But since the start of the year, the region has lost 16 million visitors. That is a shortfall of 7 billion euros for the destination, notes the CRT which will soon unveil the tourism figures for the month of July. The situation could even get worse. A few weeks ago, nearly 9 out of 10 professionals (87%) already envisaged an activity of less than a “normal” month of July, of which nearly two-thirds (65%) predicted a drop of more than 50% in their turnover. business, according to tourism professionals. So, is the sector in disarray? Didier Arino, Managing Director of the Protourisme cabinet, answered 20 Minutes' questions .
For a few days now, we have been talking about a suffering Parisian tourism sector… What about when the month of July has ended and we are entering the month of August?
The situation is extremely worrying. There is a 70% decrease in overnight stays compared to July 2019, according to our studies. One in two hotels is closed and we are at 35% occupancy with half the offer and almost all palaces are closed. In fact, it is the triple penalty. Paris mainly depends on foreign clienteles. But they are not present - in particular the Americans and the Chinese - because the air connections are currently not or little assured. But Paris has also lost its business clientele, who were not present in July for the usual trade shows or seminars. Finally, the capital, which enjoyed a craze for urban tourism has lost this attraction. After more than two months of confinement, foreign tourists and also the French do not want to go to the cities, synonymous with confinement and the risks of Covid-19. They therefore favor large spaces. As proof, the French are at the rendezvous in the seaside destinations. At this level, it's even better than we expected.
Is the hotel industry the only tourism sector impacted in Paris?
All tourist sites are affected. The Louvre, the Palace of Versailles and the Eiffel Tower recorded a 50% drop in attendance. In reality, everything is down. We are also saving 50% less for cafes, restaurants and brasseries. It's an entire ecosystem that is impacted. This drop will also be felt by taxis, VTCs, transport, riverboats, show organizers. And the world of culture in general.
Can we already quantify the financial loss?
We know it's going to be very complicated for restaurateurs. In the hotel industry, there are investors who can absorb the shock. But when it's closed, it's all the jobs around that are impacted. It also freezes planned investments and therefore job creation. Some establishments have also stopped renovations. Without state help, I think it would have been a disaster in terms of employment.
Can we hope for a catch-up in September or in the months that follow?
The Americans are not going to land overnight. We just have to hope that this pandemic stops and that a vaccine is found. There may be a little recovery at the start of the school year. But there is still some way to achieve the balance which is for a hotel around 65% occupancy rate. Currently, we are at 35%.
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