Teleworking, no delivery and "getting used to walking": the Games put the most visited country in the world to the test
In a recent press conference held in Paris, the president of the Paris region, Valérie Pecresse, addressed the anticipated management of tourist flows during the upcoming Olympic Games in the capital. Pecresse acknowledged that the games would inevitably cause inconvenience to the residents of the region for a few weeks, emphasizing the need to disrupt the transportation habits of Parisians. She urged collective intelligence and suggested simple measures such as getting off one subway stop earlier or walking instead of relying solely on public transport. Pecresse humorously remarked that the majority of visitors, who are expected to be between 25 and 35 years old, should have no trouble walking.
As the Paris region prepares to welcome an estimated 15 million visitors for the games, the French government has encouraged teleworking, online shopping, and local QR codes for neighborhood mobility. With France already being the most visited country worldwide, hosting such a massive event poses challenges in absorbing the influx of tourists. The overcapacity of popular attractions, such as the Eiffel Tower and Notre Dame Cathedral, has already been a long-standing issue, with reservations and long queues becoming prerequisites for entry. The overwhelmed Mont Saint Michel in Normandy serves as another example of the country’s struggle to cope with excessive tourism.
In addition to the Olympic Games, the commemoration of the 80th anniversary of the Normandy landings in June and the reopening of the Notre Dame Cathedral, closed since the devastating fire in 2019, add to the attractions drawing visitors to the Paris region. However, there is a noticeable animosity towards tourists in certain neighborhoods, as reflected in social media videos parodying the disillusionment of visitors when confronted with high costs and the saturated conditions caused by mass tourism. Notably, many Parisians plan to rent out their homes at inflated prices to escape the city during this period.
Interestingly, a survey revealed that half of French people have no interest in the sporting event, underscoring the evolving perception of mass tourism’s impact on the French image. This shift is exemplified by the scarcity of locks in hardware stores in the picturesque Montmartre neighborhood, reminiscent of the removal of railings on the steps of the Pont des Arts in the past due to weight concerns.