- Title: French tourism struck by coronavirus
- Date: 9th March 2020
- Summary: PARIS, FRANCE (MARCH 9, 2020) (REUTERS) SIGHTSEEING BUS PULLING UP IN FRONT OF EIFFEL TOWER EMPTY SEATS ON BUS TOURISTS GETTING OFF BUS IN FRONT OF EIFFEL TOWER TOURISTS QUEUING AT EIFFEL TOWER EIFFEL TOWER EXTERIOR OF LE MUGUET HOTEL OWNER AND MANAGER OF LE MUGUET HOTEL, CHARLINE PELLETIER, WALKING THROUGH RECEPTION AND POINTING OUT SIGN WITH CORONAVIRUS ADVICE SIGN READING (French): "CORONAVIRUS, PROTECTING YOURSELF AND PROTECTING OTHERS" (SOUNDBITE) (French) OWNER AND MANAGER OF LE MUGUET HOTEL, CHARLINE PELLETIER, SAYING: "For the last two weeks things have slowed down sharply with a number of cancellations the like of which we've never seen. Today, for example, of the 40 rooms we have only 11 of them are occupied, whilst only two weeks ago we had five available rooms, today only 11 of them are taken. So, it's a real disaster." VARIOUS OF TOURISTS WALKING IN FRONT OF EIFFEL TOWER, SOME WEARING MASKS (SOUNDBITE) (French) OWNER AND MANAGER OF LE MUGUET HOTEL, CHARLINE PELLETIER, SAYING: "For the last five years, since the Bataclan attacks, it's true that every year something happens which makes us a bit anxious but this year is clearly the first time that the business is actually threatened because we have no money coming in, just cancellations, and we don't know when it will stop." PELLETIER OPENING CURTAINS IN ONE OF ROOMS EIFFEL TOWER SEEN THROUGH WINDOW BED (SOUNDBITE) (French) OWNER AND MANAGER OF LE MUGUET HOTEL, CHARLINE PELLETIER, SAYING: "We have drastically dropped the prices. So, for example this room is available for about 100 euros where normally at this time of year it's at least 250 euros. But it's made no difference. And that's how you know it's nothing to do with prices or where we're situated -- because between the Invalides monument and the Eiffel Tower it couldn't be better, and I thank my grandmother every day for having bought here! -- but it's really fear which is stopping clients from coming. And I think if I asked for 10 euros for the room there still wouldn't be the demand." PARIS, FRANCE (MARCH 6, 2020) (REUTERS) SACRE COEUR BASILICA EMPTY STREETS IN FRONT OF BASILICA TOURISTS IN SQUARE IN MONTMARTRE CAFE TERRACE ARTIST PAINTING IN SQUARE EASEL, SACRE COEUR BEHIND PARIS, FRANCE (MARCH 9, 2020) (REUTERS) (SOUNDBITE) (French) GENERAL SECRETARY OF "ENTREPRISES DU VOYAGE" TRAVEL AGENT AND TOUR OPERATORS' UNION, VALERIE BONED, SAYING: "Across France at the moment there are hardly any tourists from Asia and as for other countries, visitors from Europe and elsewhere, two or three weeks ago we still had reasonable numbers but now -- you can see it at Disneyland or guides in Paris -- there has been a serious slowdown for businesses." CHESSY, FRANCE (MARCH 9, 2020) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF ENTRANCE TO DISNEYLAND PARIS PARIS, FRANCE (MARCH 9, 2020) (REUTERS) (SOUNDBITE) (French) GENERAL SECRETARY OF "ENTREPRISES DU VOYAGE" TRAVEL AGENT AND TOUR OPERATORS' UNION, VALERIE BONED, SAYING: "We're all waiting to see how long it will take to find, if not a vaccine, then at least a treatment that works. And above all, the way we talk about it needs to be less scary because lots of businesses are linked to tourism and are waiting to bounce back and one of the making people travel less is the scare-mongering around destinations which aren't off limits." QUEUE OF PEOPLE ROUND EIFFEL TOWER (SOUNDBITE) (German) GERMAN TOURIST FROM NEAR DRESDEN, ROY THEIME, SAYING: "We shouldn't overplay it. And we should visit Paris anyway because it's a very beautiful city!" YOUNG SPANISH TOURIST WEARING FACEMASK (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) SPANISH TOURIST FROM GRENADA, PABLO MOLINA, SAYING: "In our town there is no coronavirus. Here we wash our hands, we wear the mask and that's it. For us no one is affected." TOURISTS WALKING PAST EIFFEL TOWER (SOUNDBITE) (English) TOURISTS FROM NEW ZEALAND, MARIA KHAN AND BRETT CAMPBELL, SAYING: KAHN: "I've been to Paris in the past years ago and you literally couldn't move because it's so was so packed. It's actually been more enjoyable because it's a lot quieter." CAMPBELL: "We were at the Louvre yesterday and it was easy to get in and out, there were no queues, the Mona Lisa you could walk in there and pretty much see her straight away. It was easy." KAHN: "So I guess we're seeing the positive side!" PARIS, FRANCE (MARCH 6, 2020) (REUTERS) SACRE COEUR / TOURISTS ON STEPS TOURISTS IN FRONT OF BASILICA PARIS SKYLINE WITH MONTPARNASSE TOWER
- Embargoed: 23rd March 2020 16:32
- Keywords: Eiffel Tower Paris business coronavirus hotels tourism tourists
- Location: PARIS AND CHESSY, FRANCE
- City: PARIS AND CHESSY, FRANCE
- Country: France
- Topics: Health/Medicine
- Reuters ID: LVA001C4BZH3B
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: Le Muguet hotel in Paris has been in Charline Pelletier's family for more than 50 years but of all the economic storms it has faced over the decades she says coronavirus is the most dangerous.
The hotel is nestled in a quiet street a leisurely stroll from the Eiffel Tower, but barely a quarter of its 40 rooms were occupied on Monday (March 9), a sharp drop compared to a fortnight ago when it was almost full.
"It's a real disaster," Pelletier said from the veranda where she said she had served no breakfasts on Monday.
Ever since a spate of attacks in the city in 2015 hit the tourism sector hard, Pelletier said business had been up and down but that the recent coronavirus outbreak, which originated in China but is now affecting much of Europe, posed the biggest threat.
"This year is clearly the first time that the business is actually threatened because we have no money coming in, just cancellations, and we don't know when it will stop."
Other businesses in the city also report dramatic falls.
The Synhorcat union which represents hotels and restaurants said on Friday it estimated business had fallen by between 20-30 percent across a number of sectors including cafes, catering, events and hotels and that further drops of 40-80 percent were expected in the months to come.
Representatives from the industry will meet junior minister Jean-Baptiste Lemoyne on Tuesday to highlight the threat to business posed by the virus.
Many already met Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire on Monday, calling for streamlined access to aide and a drop-in employers' national insurance contributions, including Valerie Boned from the travel agent and tour operators' union "Les Entreprises du Voyage".
"Above all, the way we talk about it needs to be less scary because lots of businesses are linked to tourism and are waiting to bounce back and one of the things making people travel less is scare-mongering around destinations which aren't off limits."
Many of the tourists visiting the Eiffel Tower on Monday said they thought fears had been blown out of proportion -- and some even appreciated the relative calm.
"It's actually been more enjoyable because it's a lot quieter... I guess we're seeing the positive side!" tourist Maria Khan from New Zealand said.
(Production: Clotaire Achi, Thierry Chiarello, Johnny Cotton) - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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