Occupancy Figures Show Paris Bouncing Back from Shadow of Terrorist Attacks

New occupancy figures show that Paris is bouncing back from the shadow of multiple terrorist attacks which hit its tourism and hotel occupancy figures hard.

Following terror attacks in 2015, the number of tourists visiting Paris dropped significantly however, new figures show that the capital has bounced back with a ten year high. Official occupancy rates confirm that a total of 16.4 million guests checked into Paris’ hotels between January and June, 2017. The guest numbers for the first six months of the year are the highest since 2007, indicating reasons for optimism for French hoteliers.

The Regional Tourist Committee for Paris also states that Paris has registered a 14.9% growth in the number of overseas visitors flocking to the city. The rise was helped by higher than usual numbers of American, Chinese and Japanese tourists.

Hotels in three key areas welcomed higher numbers of guests than had previously been the case in the wake of the 2015 attacks. The Foundation Louis Vuitton, the Arc de Triomphe and the Palace of Versailles all reported more visitors than in previous years.

France relies heavily on tourism, with the sector accounting for 9% of the European country’s gross domestic product. This means that there is usually a healthy influx of travellers looking for short term accommodation but, a combination of external factors has meant a disappointing two years for hoteliers.

While France was the world’s top tourist destination in 2015, the two years since then have seen cities such as Paris post underwhelming visitor numbers, with lower hotel occupancy rates and fewer overseas tourists.

In 2016, tourist numbers dropped 7% between January and August, with travellers choosing to book trips elsewhere following terrorist attacks, poor weather and transport strikes which affected those flying into the country.

Between January and August 2016, there was a drop of 11.4% in the number of hotel nights booked and a €1bn loss in income as a result.

The latest Regional Tourist Committee figures paint a much brighter picture however, leading into the busy Christmas holiday season. The figures show that hoteliers in Paris registered 16 million guests in the first six months of the year – a record figure that tops any other first half period from the last decade. Overall, Paris and the wider Île-de-France region welcomed 14.6% more visitors, while there was a 6.4% increase on average in the rest of France.