China News Service, July 28. According to a report by the European Times on the 27th, due to the epidemic, there will be very few tourists in the French capital Paris in the summer of 2020. On the one hand, the local tourism, catering and hotel businesses have been severely impacted; on the other hand, the residents of Paris are enjoying this rare moment.
Data map: On July 15, local time, the top floor of the Eiffel Tower in France opened to attract tourists to overlook Paris.
According to reports, compared to 2019, the number of visitors to Paris’ historical sites and museums has plummeted by two to three times; hotel occupancy rates and restaurant attendance rates have also halved. At present, the Eiffel Tower, a landmark in Paris, can attract 8,000 to 11,000 tourists every day, which may seem like a lot, but compared to the passenger flow in the summer of 2019, even less than half. Visitors to the Louvre also dropped by 60%.
The tavern owner a hundred meters away from the Eiffel Tower sighed and said, "In previous years, this time was always full. The best business in the year was these 15 days, but now only one-fifth of the business is left."
According to reports, without the patronage of tourists, many luxury hotels in Paris simply closed their doors for a holiday and waited until September to reopen.
On the other hand, the local residents of Paris are very happy. Nicole and Lucien, an old couple in their 80s, have lived in Paris for most of their lives and have never seen such a quiet capital. At the Plaza de Mars, Nicole said excitedly, “It’s always crowded and it’s hard to walk. Now I can finally enjoy my city life.”
A Parisian living near the Eiffel Tower also took the opportunity to bring her relatives to play, because "more Paris residents visit the capital than foreigners now."