Contrary to the pessimists who dwell on seeing the glass as half-empty, while it steadily filled up over the weeks, the final result is very positive. It is generally satisfying both in terms of numbers and the overall sentiment of having successfully hosted a major global event without major hitches.
According to general opinion, both among the Parisian and national populations as well as among visitors and international commentators, the organization of the 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games is a great success. All legitimate or somewhat dramatized fears were overshadowed by a surprising popular jubilation not seen since the 1998 Football World Cup.
The metro trains were not overcrowded and ran much better than usual. Parisian traffic jams almost miraculously disappeared. Competitors swam in the Seine, and no bomb exploded during the opening ceremony.
Behind this factual and emotional observation, the economic activity, which sparked so many fantasies and contradictory analyses, met expectations. The summer attendance in the cities that hosted the Olympic events saw a significant increase, and the average prices generated substantial returns.
While commercial accommodation was quite naturally the big beneficiary of the Olympic stays, the restaurant industry also profited well. The 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games were a tremendous opportunity to extend the rebound of recent years following the Covid episode.
What should we take away from this? First, a collective pride – not a common occurrence – of having shown the world France’s ability to organize global events with method and efficiency, and moreover, adding a festive, popular, and friendly note. The grumbling France, caricatured through its unfriendly taxi drivers, grimacing waiters, and arrogant Parisians, gave way to a joyful and welcoming population.
France is part of the rather small circle of nations that can claim to host gigantic events and succeed. This puts us in a very good position to launch other bids for large Expos or other World Championships.
Secondly, we could have avoided the poor communication prior to the Games, inherent to our Gallic spirit. The controversies over the unpreparedness of sites, delays in installations, greedy professionals’ abuses, the multiple dangers of a population concentrated in time… could have spoiled the celebration and maintained the sentiment that a good bashing is better than facing a great challenge.
The challenge was met, and with flying colors. And on the side of hospitality and all tourism activities, the scenario anticipated by informed observers unfolded well. The pre-Olympic slump, consistent since the Rio or London Games, will be offset by a very promising late season. Occupancy rates are well above a summer without a major event, but below the wild fantasies of inexperienced professionals.
The surprising determination of some detractors to deny success, to blow up a few occasional failures, to draw generalizations from epiphenomena should not make us forget that France emerges victorious from this sequence.
It is up to us all to exploit the consequences in the short, medium, and long term by capitalizing on the performances, riding, as London knew how to do, on a wave that can swell for several years in a row. The outcome will only be greater and more lasting. Let us remember that nothing is guaranteed. Reaching the summit is already a victory, but the real feat is to stay there.
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