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Paris, the world’s leading tourist destination, expects to welcome 15 million visitors for the Summer Olympics. However, the hotel and catering sector in the capital is worried about suffering… a lack of activity.
– The Ile-de-France region concentrates 16% of the workforce in the French hotel and catering sector, i.e. approximately just over 200,000 employees.
As surprising as it may seem, po a statement from Chef Thierry Marx on Monday, April 1president of the Union of Hotel and Catering Traders (Umih), hosting the Olympic Games in Paris this summer may not be such a good deal for Ile-de-France professionals in the sector.
President Umihu is concerned about the difficulties in recruiting staff. There would still be 200,000 places left to fill across the country, roughly the same number as last year. The star chef fears that the recruitment tension will be felt especially in Paris, which expects 15 million visitors to the sporting event. “We will be tense in Paris as well.” We usually have a little less trouble (that time) because the market goes down in July and August”he declared on Franceinfo on Monday.
An opinion that is not shared by Frank Delvau, president of Umih Paris-Ile-de-France, who rather fears the opposite effect, namely a decrease in the activity of hoteliers and restaurateurs during the games: “I think we are not far from getting to the same phenomenon as in the Olympics in London in 2012, when bars, restaurants, hotels had much less work than during a normal summer.» Alarmist talks about the crowds that will come by public transport, the canceled cultural and festive events, the vigipirate plan strengthened… So many factors make Frank Delvau think that the Olympic Games might not be such a great opportunity for catering and hotel professionals.
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of “pessimistic talk» that affect the hotel and catering sector
In fact, Ile-de-France residents have been torn for months between appeals to stay in the capital launched by Anne Hidalgo – the mayor of Paris notably decided extend the opening hours of the terraces to midnight for the Olympic and Paralympic Games, from July 1 to September 8 – and on the other, government advice encouraging people to prefer remote work and walking or cycling to relieve congestion on public transport.
“They are thrashing everywhere. On buses, the subway, and within private companies that recommend remote work during the Olympics. This will result in a loss of revenue for restaurants in business districts, many will close as their customers stay home. And then there are all those who, pushed by this pessimistic talk, rent out their housing and go on vacation at this time to French tourist destinations, where there is currently a significant shortage of hotel and catering staff.“, regrets Frank Delvau.
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Increase in hotel nightsis far from the exaggerated figures reported»
However, the implications of these alarmist remarks need to be put into perspective: more than half of the population of Ile-de-France should not flee the capital during the Olympics. According to figures from the Ministry of Tourism, 69% of Ile-de-France residents plan to stay in Ile-de-France. Figures that do not seem to reassure President Umih Paris, for whom “those who stay may come and spend the day in Paris, attend sporting events, but won’t necessarily eat in restaurants, much less spend the night in a hotel“. Especially since “the gaming committee plans to establish 25 fan zones in which they will rent refreshment areas. Which will not help our affairs.»
Frank Delvau, determined to put the church back in the middle of the village, insists that all the media hype since this winter about hotel nights going up in the run-up to the Olympics is untrue. “Hoteliers are trying to fill their establishments, and the price increase is far from reaching the exaggerated figures reported. Prices barely doubled. Renting an Airbnb is more expensive than coming to a hotel, which will also have better services“, he exclaims.
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However, Frank Delvau acknowledges that “even though it will have negative economic consequences at the moment“,”the impact of the Olympics will be beneficial in the long run. They have made it possible to introduce great initiatives such as the express line that connects Roissy-Charles-de-Gaulle airport with the center of Paris in less than twenty minutes.»
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