In the summer of Europe Paris Olympics and UEFA Euro 2024 in Germany They will be two great sporting events that will represent an important opportunity for both hosts, since they will attract national and foreign tourists from all over the world. This is revealed in the recent quarterly report of the European Travel Commission (ETC), which highlights an increase in advance bookings, while prices will rise well above the seasonal average for the duration of both events.
On the one hand, the Olympic event will be held from July 26 to August 11 in the French capital and, twelve days before, the Euro Cup will end in the German country, which will last a month and will be present in 10 different cities.
The ETC has taken the London 2012 Olympic Games as a reference to evaluate the potential impact in France, since it is an event with a comparable calendar and with similarities in terms of the size of the event and its geographical scope.
Total visitor numbers to London and the UK grew moderately in 2012 compared to the previous three years, but increased substantially in terms of spending and average spending. This impact was greater in London than in the rest of the UK.
This year the trend will be similar, with an impact of Olympic Games that will differ between France and Paris in terms of arrivals and spending. In addition, tourism figures will be affected by the inflationary context and the financial caution of travelers, as well as by the relatively higher prices in Paris, including higher hotel rates, which “may cause some substitution for destinations close to Parissuch as Chartres and Reims, accessible by train.”
As a result, the total number of foreign visitors to France and the city of Paris could increase by 5% to 10% in 2024 relative to 2019, while spending will grow in France (24%) at a faster rate than in the capital (13%).
Impact in Germany
On the other hand, the report predicts that German tourism will experience a general boost this summer thanks to the Eurocup championship, since the country organizes 51 matches in ten different citieswith 24 participants in the tournament, including the host.
As a reference point, the impact of the 2016 Euro Cup held in France was evaluated, in which, in this case, international arrivals fell by 1.7% during this period. This decline could be attributed to travel substitution by those wishing to get away from the games and the displacement of potential foreign tourists who want to avoid the congestion and higher prices associated with the event.
Likewise, in all host cities there was a substantial improvement in year-on-year receiving spending, except in Paris, where spending fell 11%. On average, incoming spending increased by 9% across all cities. Therefore, the results indicate that a decrease in international arrivals does not necessarily lead to a decrease in spending in cities, according to ETC.
In this 2024 edition it will be slightly better. German cities tend to be more affordable than their French counterparts, especially when comparing the most popular destinations for international arrivals, Paris and Berlin.
Additionally, German rail operator Deutsche Bahn recently announced a new schedule that improves both capacity and regional connectivity, encouraging more day trips to matches, especially for domestic fans, who already favor traveling around the country on June and July.
Airbnb rides the boom
Airbnb also spoke out about the impact of the Paris Olympics on the company, causing lThe nights booked during those dates are more than five times higher than those of the same period last year in Paris.
As to Germany is also seeing a similar trend for this European summer’s Euro Cup, with almost double the number of nights booked compared to the previous year. Increases in supply have also been seen to help meet increased demand, including almost 40% more active accommodations in Paris in the first quarter compared to last year.
“These events highlight how Airbnb helps disperse travel and extend economic benefits, allowing people to stay in neighborhoods and areas where there are no hotels,” the accommodation platform claimed.
Source: Ambito
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