The 2024 Summer Olympic Games are in full swing, and all eyes have been on Paris. However, despite global attention on the city, inbound tourism to Paris itself is not surging, according to a new report from data aggregator Similarweb.
Lodging Data Shows a Year-Over-Year Decline for France’s Highest Markets
In fact, accommodation bookings to the French capital that were reserved during the first six months of 2024 show a 14% decline over the same period in 2023. The top 10 inbound tourism markets to Paris have also declined when compared with the same period in 2023, with the exception of the U.S. (which grew only 5% in the first half of 2024). These declining markets include visitors from the Netherlands (-38%); Canada (-33%); the United Kingdom and Spain (-20%); Italy (-13%); other parts of France (-12%); and Germany, Switzerland and Belgium (-7%).
Meanwhile, Serbia and Croatia Have Shown Increased Interest
On the flip side, two countries have increased their Paris bookings dramatically. Serbia is experiencing an increase of 88% in year-over-year growth (perhaps fueled by “what might be Novak Djokovic’s last Olympics,” according to the report), while Croatia is reporting 73% year-over-year growth.
Other French Destinations Are Seeing Increased Popularity
Cities outside of Paris have also gained attention, according to data that measured visits to Air France’s payment page. Seaside towns including Biarritz and Cannes are rising in popularity with French and British travelers, while Lille is attracting tourists from the U.K. and Germany. Annecy is resonating with German visitors, specifically.
For the U.S., year-over-year growth in online accommodation searches (via Booking.com) has been reported for the French destinations of Provence, Lyon, Marseille, Bordeaux, Nice, Toulouse, Lille and Cannes. This could be due to high lodging prices in Paris, according to the report, with travelers planning to base themselves in nearby cities while taking day trips to the capital.
