Paris tourism numbers still below post-virus expectations

The number of tourists gazing at the Mona Lisa or wandering the streets of Paris this summer is low, dashing hopes that the top tourist destination would see brighter days after last year's pandemic-linked desertion.

The City of Light has seen between 3.6 million and 4.7 million visitors between June and August, down from 10 million in 2019, before the coronavirus emerged and wrecked international travel, according to tourism office figures.

Only 2.6 million tourists visited Paris last year.

"With clients from afar not coming, the impact is considerable," Didier Arino, director of the travel firm Protourisme, told Agence France-Presse (AFP).

France eased its travel rules ahead of the summer season, putting countries in a red, orange and green color-coded system that determines if visitors need to take a COVID-19 test before arriving, have a compelling reason to visit or must quarantine upon arrival.

Source: Paris tourism numbers still below post-virus expectations | Daily Sabah