War in the Middle East: Decreases in tourist attendance of around 2 to 4% recorded in Paris in March and April

The decrease is observed “on flights in particular,” details Thomas Deschamps, director of the observatory of Paris I love you, on Monday on franceinfo. The capital still attracts a clientele “close by,” who can come by train.

Thomas Deschamps, director of the observatory of Paris I love you, the Paris Tourist Office, stated on Monday, April 27 on franceinfo that he observed “a decrease of about 2 to 4% in tourist attendance in Paris” in March and April, due to the wars in the Middle East and the Near East. The decrease is visible “especially on flights”, he says, while also pointing out: “Fortunately, we have a diverse clientele coming from all around the world,” he adds. He mentions that Paris also attracts a “local clientele, who can come by train.”

The decrease in the number of tourists from the Middle East is “around 5 to 6% so far”. Thomas Deschamps specifies that “this is a clientele that represents 3% of Paris’s clientele mix, so it has a fairly limited impact.” He explains that this is a “high-contribution clientele in terms of tourism. They avoided the 2024 Olympics, but returned in 2025. Traditionally, they come back strongly towards the end of Ramadan. This was a bit complicated due to the crisis and the blockage of the Strait of Hormuz.”

“Surprisingly, for now, in the reservations we have for Asian clientele, we have not recorded any decreases, but rather increases, notes Thomas Deschamps. It could be due to anticipation, or there are already measures in place to avoid the hubs in the Near and Middle East.”

He also notes “increases in clientele from Germany, Austria, Switzerland” at the European level and emphasizes “a strong eventful current news: we have heard about the famous concerts of Celine Dion, but also Bad Bunny, Aya Nakamura… People will come.” He mentions an increase in attendance of 10% on the eve of the Paris Marathon, which took place in mid-April.