International visitors are back to Paris during the winter holiday season, driven by the Olympics Games this summer and the recent reopening of Notre-Dame cathedral.
Hundreds of tourists braved the cold in front of Notre-Dame de Paris during the Christmas week, eager to catch a glimpse of the iconic cathedral.
Some, like Elena from Argentina, had traveled from far away. "In Argentina, the local news covered the reopening of the cathedral extensively," she told RFI. "It caught my attention and really made me want to come."
Early risers were rewarded with a chance to tour the cathedral, but for others, like Laetitia and her family from Switzerland, patience was key.
"We arrived at 11am, and it’s already 1.30pm, but we’re determined to see this cathedral," Laetitia explained.
Eric and Noa, visiting Paris for the first time from Madrid, were also excited but didn’t expect such large crowds.
"Despite all the people, we’re going to try to see as much as we can, but it’s tough during the Christmas season," they said, concerned about the long lines and heavy foot traffic.
Around 270,000 people have visited the medieval cathedral in the first eight days since Notre-Dame reopened in early December, rector Olivier Ribadeau Dumas told French daily Le Parisien. "Around 30,000 people a day enter the cathedral."
Tourists "tell themselves it's time to go to Paris", Delvau said.
"They have both Notre-Dame and the department stores' windows, which always attract a lot of people."
'Open your doors': Paris unveils Notre-Dame after five-year refit
Tourism in Paris has surged after the Paris Games this summer, with a significant increase in international arrivals.
According to the Paris Tourist Office, foreign passenger numbers at the city's airports rose by 15 percent in November 2024, reaching 1.3 million.
Paris hotels have also seen higher occupancy rates. Hotel bookings for the two Christmas weeks 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 told French news agency AFP.
(with newswires)
