As soon as we set foot in the area of the Eiffel Tower, the Pont d’Iéna or the Trocadéro, dozens of street vendors come to approach us. “If you take the big Eiffel Tower, I’ll give you small ones like that,” one of them suggests. While they had disappeared during the Olympic Games, thanks to the significant strengthening of law enforcement around tourist sites, street vendors have already taken over their neighborhood. “It was a publicity stunt, we had the Olympics, it ended on Sunday, on Monday they were all there. During the Games, it was peaceful, we were able to work peacefully, serenely. There were just a few who passed by with a few Eiffel Towers under their belt,” notes bitterly an employee of a souvenir stand, located in the Eiffel Tower area.
Amidst the street vendors, tourist scams have also reappeared. “I lost 100 euros at the bonneteau,” laments an Egyptian tourist on the Iéna bridge. Aware of the situation, the Paris town hall nevertheless affirms that there is no question of letting them settle again. “We want to ensure that the ground gained during the Olympic Games is not lost,” says Nicolas Nordman, deputy mayor of Paris, responsible for prevention, security and municipal police. Watch our video report at the top of the article.
