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High cost, safety worries hit Paris Olympics bookings
STORY: The Olympic Games should be an economic boon for any city hosting it, as visitors flock to the event.Now Paris is due to host the 2024 Games in a few weeks, but high costs and security concerns seem to have put some visitors off.One leading data firm said flight bookings to the French capital are expected to rise by a tenth year-on-year from June 6 onwards.That is a sharp contrast to the 115% increase in tourist arrivals for the 2016 Rio Games. Even the Tokyo Games, held during the pandemic, saw bookings up by a fifth. Further data also showed hotel reservations have dropped since last year for the weeks ahead of the Olympics.One U.S.-based sports travel agent said it was the lowest bookings he’d seen in a quarter of a century for almost any sports event.The findings show the challenges major cities face hosting such events, as more price-conscious consumers can be put off.London experienced something similar in 2012, when it only saw a 3% increase in arrivals.But it is still a blow for Paris.The city’s tourist office said average hotel prices during the Games have surged by 70% to $369 a night from last year.Meanwhile, homesharing site Airbnb says it has seen record Paris bookings. As of March, nights booked in the Paris region during the games were 400% higher than the same time a year ago.However, Air France-KLM said on Monday it expected weaker-than-expected summer sales as travelers avoid the Olympics.One luxury travel agency said clients had cited security worries as well as pricing as a reason to postpone trips.France is on its highest level of security alert, with the country also undergoing snap elections.The French capital’s chief of police said last month Islamist terrorism is the main security worry.But some travel agencies hope there will be a last-minute rush for tickets and accommodation.They also think potential late discounts could draw crowdsOne analytics firm said visitors may arrive by train or car, and will not show up in flight data.Train operator Eurostar said ticket sales volumes to Paris for the Olympics and Paralympics travel period were up 7% year-on-year.The city should also be in for at least some financial success.One recent study estimated the Games would generate up to $12 billion in economic benefits to the Paris region.
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