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TRAVEL NEWS

Air France says Olympic Games has cut summer traffic to Paris

Air France-KLM warned on Monday that the Olympic Games would lead to a drop in revenues of up to €180 million, due to a decline in travel to Paris over the summer.

Air France says Olympic Games has cut summer traffic to Paris
An Air France plane at Montréal-Pierre Elliott Trudeau International Airport. The airline has warned of falling revenues over the summer as demand for Paris falls due to the Olympics. Photo by Daniel SLIM / AFP

Some 15 million visitors are predicted to attend the Games, including two million from abroad, according to the Centre for Law and Economy of Sport (CDES), which has been monitoring the Paris Games for the IOC and the Paris 2024 organisers.

But there have been concerns that the Games may keep other travellers from visiting Paris, which is a major tourist destination during the summer.

“International markets show a significant avoidance of Paris,” the airline said in a statement.

“Travel between the city and other destinations is also below the usual June-August average as residents in France seem to be postponing their holidays until after the Olympic Games or considering alternative travel plans,” it added.

Air France-KLM said it currently estimates the negative impact on its unit revenues for the June until August 2024 period but that it had no plans to scale back capacity.

It said it would provide more details when presenting half year results on July 25th.

“Travel to and from France is expected to normalise after the Olympic Games, with encouraging demand levels projected for the end of August and the month of September,” it added.

In good news for passengers, that means that summer fares are at or even below seasonal average prices.

Within Paris prices for accommodations have also fallen sharply with vastly inflated prices for hotels and Airbnbs now falling back to seasonal norms.

Paris Olympics: The travel deals to take advantage of as prices fall

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RACISM

France detains six over racist messages against singer Nakamura: prosecutors

French authorities temporarily detained six people in an investigation into racist abuse against superstar Franco-Malian singer Aya Nakamura after reports she might sing at the Olympics opening ceremony, prosecutors said Friday.

France detains six over racist messages against singer Nakamura: prosecutors

The six were detained on Tuesday after being “identified in the course of an investigation over incitement to hatred online”, a source in the state prosecution service, who asked not to be named, told AFP.

They were released the following day, the source said, adding that investigators had also examined material seized during searches.

Nakamura, 29, was at the centre of a political storm after President Emmanuel Macron suggested the singer of “Djadja” could perform at the July 26 Olympic event.

Far-right politicians and conservatives rounded on her, accusing her of “vulgarity” and not respecting the French language.

Police opened a probe after the anti-racism group LICRA in March flagged numerous racist online messages targeting Nakamura.

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