Fall of tourism in Île-de-France: "These figures are catastrophic"

INTERVIEW

Unsurprisingly, the numbers are alarming.

In 2020, the health crisis caused by the coronavirus epidemic and the historic drop in the number of foreign tourists deprived Île-de-France of 15.5 billion euros in revenue, said the Regional Tourism Committee. (CRT) in a report published Monday.

Invited Tuesday from Europe 1, Hamida Rezeg, vice-president of the Region in charge of tourism, recognizes "catastrophic" figures.

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Only 17.5 million tourists, including 12.6 million French, were welcomed last year in Paris and Île-de-France.

“Between July and October, we still had a return to tourist traffic,” she says, “but we expected things to pick up better”.

"It's really a pretty dark year for the tourism sector, for the hotel sector, for the cultural sectors", continues Hamida Rezeg.

And for the players in the sector, the future looks bleak.

"Whether in the hotel industry, catering, we have a little over 30% of establishments that are bankrupt or that are going to close. This figure should be taken very seriously," he says. her again. 

"It is essential to support companies" 

On Europe 1, the vice-president of the Region ensures that the latter helps companies.

Valérie Pécresse launched a big plan, the resilience fund, the rebound loan, all this aid which has enabled many companies to recover, "she explains. But, adds Hamida Rezeg," the state also must accompany even more ".

Noting that "the State has put on the table around 520 million euros for a Mountain Plan", Hamida Rezeg recalls that the Île-de-France region "is nevertheless the first tourist destination and we hope that it will remain so. ".

Valérie Pécresse, she notably demands from the government a plan of 10 billion euros "to revive tourism in Île-de-France from this summer".

This money, specifies the vice-president in charge of tourism, could be intended for "tourist circuits", but also "for the recovery of companies and establishments".

"It is really capital to support them", insists Hamida Rezeg about businesses in Ile-de-France.

It will take time to get back to normal

While Île-de-France had reached the record figure of 50 million visitors in 2019, how long will it take the region to regain such levels of attendance?

"As long as this health crisis affects the whole world, we will not arrive at these figures", recognizes Hamida Rezeg, who sees at least in the health pass announced by the European Commission a first "way out so that tourists return to the region ".