From July 24, two days before the official opening in Paris, Marseille will host the first football matches of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games. From July 28, there will be the sailing events in the Marseille harbor. Even if it is difficult to estimate the precise number of expected visitors, we can more easily estimate the number of spectators accumulated over this fortnight. Paris 2024 has precise figures on ticketing, Provence Tourisme also has indicators on hotel reservations. Then, from experience, we anticipate significant attendance in the free fan zone on the Prado beaches and on the Corniche.
500,000 paying spectators expected during the Olympic Games in Marseille
Marseille will host all of the sailing events from July 28 to August 8, as well as 10 men’s and women’s football matches, including a quarter-final and a semi-final.
Cédric Dufoix, the head of the Games in the PACA region, is hoping for between 300,000 and 400,000 spectators for the football events at the Stade Vélodrome, and 150,000 on the Prado beaches for the sailing events. This would represent around 500,000 paying spectators. There are still places to sell for the football events, so this figure could increase further.
To this figure, we must also add all the spectators without tickets, who will watch the regattas from the Corniche or from the “Club 24”, the free fan zone offered by the city of Marseille at the David.
Thus, in total, Pierre CHAUVET, from the APPROBANS firm which carried out impact studies on the Olympic Games in Marseille, estimates a total of 825,000 spectators accumulated for the Olympic Games in Marseille.
Please note that this is a cumulative figure, which adds up the attendances for each day. This estimate must of course be compared with reality, with multiple factors such as the enthusiasm of the local population to come and see the Games, with or without tickets, but also the phenomena of eviction which, on the contrary, would see Marseille residents leave the city to escape the crowds of the Games.
Other parameters are difficult to take into account to anticipate actual attendance: on the one hand, new events or euphoria around the Games in France which would attract more spectators, or on the contrary the impact of the extremes coming to power and the tensions which could impact tourism.
There are also the phenomena of “no shows”, people who have a ticket but who do not come to see the event. For football, it is very dependent on the qualification of the teams. And then, it’s a paradox, but by being among the cheapest tickets for the Games, some people were able to add a “sailing” ticket to benefit from the best seats in Paris during the first sales when it was necessary to compose a package. Thus, today, the tickets of Sailing events are among those most frequently put back on sale on the Paris 2024 platform.
179 million direct economic benefits expected for Marseille
In addition to attendance, the APPROBANS firm attempted to assess the direct economic impact of this additional attendance on the local economy.
Based on this cumulative attendance of 825,000 spectators and applying an average basket of daily expenses of around 65 euros, but also all the expenses of the athletes, their staff and the many professionals who will work on the Games, The firm estimates direct expenditure of around 179 million euros. This concerns accommodation, catering, but also the numerous services ordered from local service providers (communication, staff, etc.)
This estimate does not take into account the numerous investments, the famous “legacy” of the Games for Marseille such as the cost of the transformation of the Marina or the various road and transport developments carried out ahead of the Games.
It also does not include the price of tickets purchased from Paris 2024.
Nearly 20 million euros in revenue and 225,000 spectators for the arrival of the flame on May 8
© Paris 2024 / Clement Mahoudeau / SIPA PRESS
Provence Tourisme and this firm APPROBANS also worked on the real impact of the arrival of the flame in Marseille.
Thanks to anonymized mobile phone data, we know that there were up to 255,000 people in the Old Port on the evening of May 8. This is an exceptional figure which has also translated into significant economic benefits for the city: around 20 million in direct expenses, half by spectators in bars, hotels and shops in town and half by professionals for the organization of these festivities and the benefits to local businesses.
Most of these visitors were locals. Tourists from outside the region represented only 20% of spectators. This translates into a hotel occupancy rate of around 89% on the evening of May 8, compared for example to the figure of 81% on May 2, which was a “normal” day.
Finally, the most important figure is certainly the audience for this event worldwide. We talk abouta billion viewers who saw the arrival of the Belem in the port of MarseilleThis is an extraordinary advertisement for the destination of Marseille, the impact of which will only be measured over time.
photo: © Paris 2024 / Clement Mahoudeau / SIPA PRESS
