(Paris) In the absence of foreign tourists, the most visited city in Europe wants to fall back on a local clientele. Will the strategy work?
Posted on July 5 2020 at 6 a.m. 000
La Presse
The Eiffel Tower, almost empty? It's a scene you never thought you would see. And yet.
On this Monday morning, we are far from jostling at the gate to visit the Iron Lady. At first glance, there are no more than twenty visitors, as well as around thirty idle employees, who stand at the foot of the crane.
A masked guide certifies that “optimism” is there. But outside the site, now protected by a bullet-proof wall, Hubert is much more pessimistic: “Normally at this hour, it's crowded,” he says.
The photographer has worked for the Eiffel Tower for seven years. It estimates the number of visitors at 1500 per day “against 20 00 0 usually “, since the famous monument reopened on 25 June. Business is so bad that he even thinks of going on vacation in July, that says it all.
Like many popular destinations impacted by the COVID pandemic – 16, the most visited city in Europe is experiencing its tourist crisis. And the Eiffel Tower is just one example.
Butte Montmartre is strangely calm these days, as is Notre-Dame, still stricken. As for the Louvre Museum, it will not reopen until July 6. The other museums have, however, resumed their activities gradually since the beginning of June.
Reopening of borders
The European Union announced this week that Europe would reopen its external borders for fifteen third countries, including Canada, Australia, Japan and China (under certain conditions) which gives a little hope for the tourism sector.
But nothing says that foreigners will come en masse to contemplate the Eiffel Tower, Versailles or the Mona Lisa. Fear of the epidemic, declining purchasing power, less frequent thefts and fear of a new quarantine are all deterrents for international visitors who may prefer to travel “local”.
PHOTO ANNE-CHRISTINE POUJOULAT, ARCHIVES AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE
A masked visitor at the Palace of Versailles
At the office of the Paris – Île-de-France Regional Tourism Committee (Paris and its region) we dare not make predictions for the coming months. But the institution says that the region, which hosts on average 50 million tourists per year, of which at least 66% coming from foreigner, lost 16 million visitors since 1 January 1, for losses estimated at 8 billion euros (12 billion CDN).
We're worried about summer, of course. But once we have said that, our responsibility is to make sure that people come back for the last quarter and that we do everything to recover the 50 million tourists in 2021.
Christophe Décloux, Director General of the Paris – Île-de-France Regional Tourism Committee
Until then, Paris and its region have no choice but to rely on local customers. In the absence of international visitors, the Paris-IDF Tourism Committee has just launched a major media campaign inviting Parisians and “Ile-de-France residents” to take advantage of this tourist lull to rediscover in peace the splendors of Paris and its region.
Save the furniture
It will be “mathematically impossible” to compensate certain places whose customers are at 80% international, like the Louvre and Versailles, adds Christophe Décloux. But with a bit of luck, the French response will save the furniture from a tourist season that promises to be disastrous.
“The idea is to tell them: it's time to go see the Mona Lisa. You will be able to do the course in two hours instead of having to queue two hours to be very numerous in a room, “he summarizes.
Yes, but rightly, will they answer? Judging by our quick vox pop, there is hope. The tourists we spoke to all came from the Paris region. And all said they wanted to “take advantage” of the void left by foreigners.
But Hubert, our photographer, does not seem convinced that the “locals” will rush to see the Eiffel Tower. Especially since the monument is currently only accessible on two floors … and only by stairs.
“The French are already having a hard time doing 100 m to go to the cash machine, he said. I don't see them going up 700 steps and, in addition, pay for it. If they had lowered prices, I’m not saying. But that’s not even the case! “