Regardless of the Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Video games being labeled as successful for town, many native companies are actually claiming that internet hosting the occasion dramatically harm their gross sales over the summer time, citing stringent safety restrictions across the metropolis.
In keeping with some retailer homeowners, this summer time introduced their worst gross sales quantity ever, even under the summer time of 2020 when the COVID-19 pandemic was at its peak. Tom Denaive, who owns a Jewellery retailer close to the Louvre Museum reported that the streets and metro stations surrounding his retailer have been restricted from mid-June via the tip of the Paralympic Video games in early September. “It was a useless road,” Denaive stated. “I felt like we have been again to the COVID days.”
The Louvre itself additionally reported a 22% drop in guests through the Video games as in comparison with the identical time interval final yr.
Luxurious candle retailer proprietor Marina Orlando additionally claimed that she noticed a dramatic lower in prospects each earlier than and through the Video games, citing a 29% lower in gross sales as in comparison with final yr. For Orlando, the scenario stays irritating, “We got a complete serenade concerning the Olympics, that it was going to be unbelievable.”
Regardless of what many retailer homeowners are reporting, early numbers point out that the Video games introduced an enormous spike in tourism to town. In keeping with leaked information from town’s authorities, Paris noticed over 1.7 million worldwide guests and 1.4 million French vacationers through the Video games, up 13% and 26% from 2023. Orlando says nevertheless, that these vacationers by no means got here to Paris with the intention of procuring, “they got here for sports activities.”
“They spent a lot on accommodations, flights, tickets … they didn’t have a lot of a price range left for procuring,” Denaive added.
One other store proprietor, Patrick Aboukrat, who helps to signify greater than 190 completely different retailers and resturants in Paris’ central Marais neighborhood, acknowledged that via mid-June till the tip of July, retailers within the space noticed a 35-40% lower in income. Aboukrat revealed that he, like many others within the space, ultimately determined to shut his retailer for the rest of the Olympic season as the price of operation was too excessive. “It was not value it, and people close to me who remained open instructed me it was empty,” Aboukrat added.
Officers are seemingly downplaying the complaints that they’ve acquired from the store homeowners. Chatting with the press earlier this week, Olivia Grégoire, who works for the tourism ministry, stated, “We frequently come throughout individuals who complain.” He additionally reaffirmed town’s success in internet hosting the Video games, reaffirming that regardless of the the stringent safety measures limiting journey in Paris, that they have been in place to take care of public security.
The federal government can even be offering monetary help to companies impacted by the safety measures on the Video games, appointing a fee to listen to compensation requests from these companies. Particularly, Grégoire acknowledged that solely companies inside the perimeters focused by safety measures can be eligible for compensation, with circumstances set to be assessed starting in January.
