International tourists are “avoiding” Paris, and the French appear to have postponed their holidays, says the airline, which is seeing a drop in bookings.
Air France is not really benefiting from the Olympic Games. The airline and its low-cost subsidiary Transavia France are warning that their revenues for the summer season will be down, in a press release published on Monday, July 1. Traffic to and from Paris “is lagging behind other major European cities”.
The Air France-KLM group is observing a “significant avoidance” of the capital by foreign travelers. Even domestic flights are suffering, with lower than normal demand for July and August. The French “seem to be postponing their vacations until after the Olympics” estimates the company in particular.
Air France-KLM therefore expects a drop in its unit revenues of around 160 to 180 million euros over the period from June to August. The group promises more details when it publishes its mid-year results, scheduled for July 25.
In June, the Paris tourism barometer from the tourist office noted a 14.8% drop in international air arrivals planned for July, before the start of the Olympics on the 26th. In the second half of May and in June, these arrivals were already down 7.3%.
