France: Tourism Under the Shadow of Mass Unrest

According to law enforcement officials, the violence peaked over the weekend of October 17–18. On Saturday, October 17 alone, around half a million people took to the streets across the country to protest. Demonstrations, initially peaceful, escalated into clashes with police, vandalism, and looting in several cities. The greatest damage was reported in Paris, Marseille, Lyon, Strasbourg, Nantes, and Toulouse.

The scale of the fallout was staggering: nearly 2,400 people were arrested on October 17 alone, and around 1,000 law enforcement officers were injured. According to France’s Ministry for Small and Medium-Sized Businesses, Trade, and Tourism, more than 3,000 commercial premises were directly affected, including many travel agencies. The burning of the Lyon tourist office on Place Bellecour became a symbol of the damage to tourism infrastructure; footage of the incident was broadcast by media outlets around the world.

The unrest affected the tourism sector in several ways, causing both direct and indirect losses.

First, major attractions were directly shut off to visitors. On October 19, the Louvre, the world’s most visited museum, was forced to close. A group of protesters blocked the entrance to the glass pyramid, forcing the administration to cancel all visits. There were also reports of temporary closures at the Palace of Versailles and disruptions to Eiffel Tower operations.

Second, transport was thrown into chaos. Although major airports such as Charles de Gaulle and Orly continued to operate normally, local public transport—metros, trams, and buses—experienced serious disruptions. Many central streets, including the Champs-Élysées, were closed, making it nearly impossible for tour groups to get around the city.

Third, there was the “frightened tourist effect.” News footage of burning cars and looted shops broadcast around the world sparked widespread anxiety. Tourists already in France witnessed scenes that one Dutch traveler described as “a war zone.” An elderly tourist from Australia, who had spent more than 20 hours in transit only to find the Louvre closed, offered future travelers this advice: “Stay home!”

The first economic signs soon followed. Industry associations reported a wave of cancellations. Hotel group France Hospitalité, which represents 3,500 hotels, confirmed cases of both canceled bookings and guests cutting their stays short. Consulting firm MKG Hospitality reported that on October 18, the number of cancellations in Paris slightly exceeded the number of new bookings.

Damage to France’s image particularly worried industry professionals. Alexandre Bompard, president of the Federation of Commerce and Distribution (FCD), estimated the material damage from the riots at “several hundred million euros.” Experts, however, believe the more serious long-term risks stem from a loss of trust among international tourists, especially visitors from the United States and Asia, who are among the highest-spending travelers.

Author: Candidate of Economic Sciences, Associate Professor, Department of World Economy and International Finance, Financial University under the Government of the Russian Federation Darya Yuryevna Rozhkova.