The recently published Ipsos Top Cities index world survey puts Paris at the top of the list of tourism destinations!
PARIS, FRANCE — The recently published Ipsos Top Cities index world survey puts Paris at the top of the list of tourism destinations!
After an initial survey in 2013, Ipsos has interviewed a panel of 18,557 people in 26 countries about their views on 60 major global cities.
Despite a difficult period following the attacks in 2015 and 2016, Paris remains the most attractive city in the world for tourism with 21 percent of the vote placing it in front of Rome (20%), New York (16%) and London (13%). This sentiment is shared by the surveyed public of all generations, with a higher proportion for the youngest (23% for Generation Z – born after 1996 – compared to 20% for Baby Boomers).
Alongside this positive ranking result is a sharp rise in the number of visitors over the first four months of the year. Since 2008 and the financial crisis, there have been three records:
1) The overall number of visitors with more than 7.1 million hotel arrivals in Greater Paris (+ 13.7% compared to 2016);
2) The number of foreign visitors with 3.3 million arrivals and an increase of 19.8% compared to 2016. A record number of Chinese and American (United States) visitors;
3) And finally, business tourism with more than 8 million overnights recorded in Greater Paris (+ 12.2% compared to 2016). Leisure tourism, the main segment affected by the attacks, was up compared to 2016 (+ 19.3% of overnights) but still remained below that of 2015 (-18.6%);
Whilst it is wise to remain prudent, the improvement of the overall economic context as well as the confirmation of the exceptional attractiveness of Paris makes it possible to envisage a second half-year 2017 conducive to tourism activity in the capital.
‘The Paris Convention and Visitors Bureau welcomes the results of the Top Cities index survey. They confirm the predominant touristic attractiveness of Paris despite recent hardships. The improvement of the situation and the major actions undertaken, notably by the Bureau, as part of the Recovery Plan all bode well for continued recovery in the second half of 2017.’ Pierre SCHAPIRA Chairman of Paris Convention and Visitors Bureau.