Residents of metropolitan France took 3.8% fewer inter-regional or international trips during last year’s Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games, new data from Insee, the French statistics office, has found.
According to the data, during the third quarter as a whole, the number of trips taken by said residents fell by 1.9%, compared to the corresponding period a year earlier.
Staying put
Residents of the Paris region, where most of the Games took place, tended to stay put, with many choosing to remain in Île-de-France during the Games rather than travel, while others delayed their departure by several days to attend Olympic events.
This meant that the traditional peak holiday departure date was delayed by a few days last year, Insee noted.
‘Residents of the Paris region adjusted their holiday habits: fewer left the Île‑de‑France during the Games, and many of those who left postponed their departure to enjoy the festivities,’ Insee said.
At the same time, the Games attracted visitors from other French regions to Île-de-France, which offset some of the reduction in outbound travel.
As the statistics body noted, those that travelled specifically for the Olympic Games tended to be younger than average and recorded higher spending levels during their trip – part of which was linked to higher prices during the weeks of competition.
Cultural habits were also affected by the Games – museum visits declined by 23% and theatre outings by 18% compared with the same period a year earlier.
‘However, a complementary cultural offering, focused on exceptional events related to the Games, was able to attract audiences,’ Insee added.
Opening Ceremony
A study by Visa, taken during the Opening Ceremony weekend last year, found that Paris-based businesses experienced increased sales during the period, with small businesses seeing a 26% rise. Visa card transaction data showed strong growth in theatres and museums (+159%), food and grocery (+42%), restaurants (+36%), retail (+21%), and entertainment (+18%) from 26–28 July.
In addition, other host cities also saw an increase in spending, including Saint-Etienne (+214%), Lille (+100%), and Marseille (+38%). Read more here and here.
