SINGAPORE, 14 August 2024: As the Olympic Games Paris closed on 11 August, Visa’s latest data confirmed the Games’ positive impact on tourism and spending in France.
Paris attracted 42% more Visa cardholders in the first week of the Olympic Games than in the same period in 2023. Still, other cities hosting Olympic sports also saw significant increases in visitors and spending, especially among fans who attended the competitions.
Paris leads as a global destination
- 42% increase in the number of Visa cardholders who travelled to Paris during the first week of the Olympic Games Paris 2024
- Other Paris 2024 host cities benefited from the Olympic Games, with Lille seeing a 188% increase in visitors, Saint-Etienne 150%, and Marseille 48%
- Visa cardholders from the US are the largest share of visitors from any country, with a 72% year-on-year growth, followed by Latin America (+62%) and Asia Pacific (+57%)
- In Europe, fans from the UK (+53%) and Germany (+53%) showed a strong interest in attending the Games
- Parisians didn’t flee the city as previously expected. The number of Parisians travelling overseas remained consistent with the previous year, with a minor uptick (from 4% to 5%) in Parisians travelling outside of Paris during the Olympic Games.
Top spending patterns
Visa cardholders spent more in Paris than in the previous year, with the UK leading the year-on-year growth with a 42% increase in their spending, followed by Latin America (+34%) and the US (+32%) 2
Visa cardholders who attended Games competitions spent 24% more than those who did not, with 39% of European fans (excluding France) spending more.
The most significant year-on-year increase in spending levels in Paris was seen in theatres and museums +205%, restaurants +67%, food and grocery +54%, retail goods +53%, and fast food restaurants 53% .
Visa Europe Chief Executive Officer Charlotte Hogg said: “Our data shows a significant boost for the Parisian economy from hosting the Games. Paris has consistently been the most visited city in the world, but I’m sure that the amazing experience of being in the city for the Games or watching the events at the iconic venues from far away will draw many more visitors in the years to come.”
Visa’s responsibility to provide payment systems for the Olympic and Paralympic Games requires a robust and venue-specific plan combined with large-scale operations. Working hand-in-hand with the Organising Committee for the last three years, Visa has built a custom payment network across Paris and beyond, which ensures Visa contactless payments are accepted at 3,500 points of sale across 32 Olympic venues and 16 Paralympic venues.
