Holidaymakers are returning to Paris for winter holiday magic as the tourism industry rebounds, inspired by the successful Olympic Games and the re-opening of Notre Dame cathedral. "This year there is much more tourism than last time I came here. Much much more.
Many more people," said Noemi Rizzato, a tourist from Milan who braved the cold to visit the Place du Trocadero on the Right Bank of Paris, bundled up in her down jacket. Georges Bardot, a 78-year-old pensioner from eastern France, also pointed to large numbers of foreign tourists amid the holiday hustle and bustle in the City of Light. "We heard every language except French spoken on the metro," Bardot laughed.
This winter, Parisian hotels are experiencing a surge in demand. The booking rate for two-week Christmas vacations neared 70 percent in mid-December, nine percentage points higher than a year ago, according to data from MKG Consulting. Top-of-the-range establishments are doing particularly well, with an increase of nearly 14 points over one year.
According to the UMIH hotel and restaurant union, well-heeled international customers are making a comeback. Frank Delvau, UMIH president for the Paris region, pointed to an "Olympic effect". The Games "have made tourists want to come back, or to visit", he said.
Tourism professionals said the world's largest sporting event led to a lacklustre summer in Paris. Wealthy Parisians fled the capital for the summer and many foreign holidaymakers chose to stay away due to tr.
