nicolas75
Aug 27, 12, 1:54 pm
According to figures from the Paris tourist information office, the French capital should beat this year a new record, with an increase of 1.5% compared to 2011, and while most French regions have been suffering from the spring of crisis or bad weather.
In hotels, occupancy rates are stable (- 0.7 to 79%) compared to unmatched 2011 figures. Average prices for a room night are rising (+6% to 164 euros). The bad weather had little impact on Paris, and the number of foreign visitors is breaking records. In the first half of the year, international tourists were 6% more likely where the French were down 3.2%.
The decline of the euro has boosted the return of traditional clients like the Americans (+14.6% to 670,000), the English (+7.9%), the Japanese (+6.2%) and the Swiss (+23.9%) while the Spanish are less travelling to Paris (-22%) because of the crisis.
Travellers from emerging countries are also more and more numerous: people from the Middle East (+19.6%) and from China (+14.6% to 75,900). And figures only partially reflect reality because many Chinese do not sleep in Paris or even in Ile-de-France, coming to the capital only for sightseeing and shopping. The total number of Chinese visitors is estimated "between 700,000 and 850,000," said Paul Roll, general manager of the Paris Tourist Office.
The French for their part, were 3.6 million (- 3.2%) to visit Paris in the first half, out of a total of 7.76 million tourists, because of the crisis, presidential elections and less numerous banking days this year . "In a difficult economic context, we're still pretty optimistic," concluded Paul Roll.
PARIS, FIRST DESTINATION WORLD IN TERMS OF DUTY FREE SHOPPING
Paris has true advantages with its monuments and museums, which are the first purpose of visit for 89%, before discovering the city (79%) and shopping (50%). The capital is also the first tourist destination in the world in terms of duty-free purchasing, thanks to the Chinese, Russians, Japanese, Brazilians or Americans.
The renewal of Paris hotel offer is however needed to maintain the attractiveness of the City of Light. 4000 new rooms are planned for the 4-5 next years, with the transformation of offices into hotels. Nearly 21 million tourists may come to Paris in 2030 (+38% compared to 2010). By 2015, according to the Tourism information office, tourists from emerging countries should even exceed current traditional visitors
Source: Le Monde (http://www.lemonde.fr/economie/article/2012/08/24/dans-le-paysage-morose-du-tourisme-paris-fait-de-la-resistance_1750955_3234.html) (in French)
Official figures from Paris tourist information office (http://www.parisinfo.com/uploads/c9//CP_1er_trimestre_%C3%A9t%C3%A9_2012.pdf) (In French)
In hotels, occupancy rates are stable (- 0.7 to 79%) compared to unmatched 2011 figures. Average prices for a room night are rising (+6% to 164 euros). The bad weather had little impact on Paris, and the number of foreign visitors is breaking records. In the first half of the year, international tourists were 6% more likely where the French were down 3.2%.
The decline of the euro has boosted the return of traditional clients like the Americans (+14.6% to 670,000), the English (+7.9%), the Japanese (+6.2%) and the Swiss (+23.9%) while the Spanish are less travelling to Paris (-22%) because of the crisis.
Travellers from emerging countries are also more and more numerous: people from the Middle East (+19.6%) and from China (+14.6% to 75,900). And figures only partially reflect reality because many Chinese do not sleep in Paris or even in Ile-de-France, coming to the capital only for sightseeing and shopping. The total number of Chinese visitors is estimated "between 700,000 and 850,000," said Paul Roll, general manager of the Paris Tourist Office.
The French for their part, were 3.6 million (- 3.2%) to visit Paris in the first half, out of a total of 7.76 million tourists, because of the crisis, presidential elections and less numerous banking days this year . "In a difficult economic context, we're still pretty optimistic," concluded Paul Roll.
PARIS, FIRST DESTINATION WORLD IN TERMS OF DUTY FREE SHOPPING
Paris has true advantages with its monuments and museums, which are the first purpose of visit for 89%, before discovering the city (79%) and shopping (50%). The capital is also the first tourist destination in the world in terms of duty-free purchasing, thanks to the Chinese, Russians, Japanese, Brazilians or Americans.
The renewal of Paris hotel offer is however needed to maintain the attractiveness of the City of Light. 4000 new rooms are planned for the 4-5 next years, with the transformation of offices into hotels. Nearly 21 million tourists may come to Paris in 2030 (+38% compared to 2010). By 2015, according to the Tourism information office, tourists from emerging countries should even exceed current traditional visitors
Source: Le Monde (http://www.lemonde.fr/economie/article/2012/08/24/dans-le-paysage-morose-du-tourisme-paris-fait-de-la-resistance_1750955_3234.html) (in French)
Official figures from Paris tourist information office (http://www.parisinfo.com/uploads/c9//CP_1er_trimestre_%C3%A9t%C3%A9_2012.pdf) (In French)