(Paris, France) One year from the start of the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris, the organizing committee is already under pressure and the problems keep piling up.
For several weeks, trials have been taking place with athletes and spectators. The organizer of the Games is currently doing everything possible to avoid chaos similar to that which reigned at the Stade de France in Saint-Denis at the time of the final of the Soccer Champions League in May 2022. There are 15 months, hundreds of Liverpool and Real Madrid supporters had been assaulted and robbed by organized gangs from surrounding areas.
A few weeks ago, Interior Minister Gérald Darmanin set a goal of “zero crime”. The details of this plan are now being implemented, with a marked increase in police and justice resources in Paris and the inner suburbs. He also announced the assignment of 2,800 additional peacekeepers in the Paris agglomeration.
The objective of the State is to lower the crime rate in the Ile-de-France region in order to give a good image of the country in one year. The department of Seine-Saint-Denis is one of the most criminogenic in the country. It is a question of tackling delinquency and particularly the phenomenon of monopolization of public space: points of illicit transactions, street vending and stations where one does not feel safe.
Beyond security in the public space, there are many areas of conflict to be cleared in the French capital. For sports fans who wish to attend this great event between July 26 and August 11, 2024 and who need tickets and accommodation, it will be necessary to have saved some money to be able to attend the competitions.
Visitors to the Games will have to put their hands in their pockets and plan a substantial budget just for their accommodation. According to the Airbnb booking site, a person interested in a stay in the capital is, for example, offered a room for 2117.65 euros (over C$3000) per night during the Olympics.
This studio, still available, would cost a total of no less than 42,327.32 euros (over C$60,000) during the entire period of the Games. Such an offer is indicative of the price explosion that the 2.7 million expected tourists will face.
If Parisian individuals see it as an opportunity to make financial profits, others fear abuses that could harm the Olympic spirit.
During the Games, 130,000 guests are expected to rent all or part of their property through the Airbnb platform and thus welcome some 560,000 tourists. Airbnb hosts should earn around 2000 euros gross (before taxes), or almost C$3000, if they rent their accommodation for ten days during the Olympics and Paralympics. This means that revenues per night will amount to around 200 euros and are expected to increase by 70% on average compared to the prices that prevailed in 2022.
The sale of tickets also gives rise to recurring discussions. The prices and availability of places at the launch of the second phase of sales caused as much concern as during the first phase. Another hiccup may anger those drawn: Many ticket holders to attend athletics competitions had a very unpleasant surprise after the sale of individual tickets for the second phase of sales went online.
“We found that there were errors in a total of eight athletics sessions, confirmed Tony Estanguet, the main manager of the Paris 2024 organizing committee. There are more than 760 sessions that are put in sale in this second phase of ticket sales. For these eight athletics sessions, there was a programming error, because the calendar has changed and we have not updated it. »
The consequence of this failure: spectators may have spent up to 980 euros (over C$1400) for a ticket to the final at the Stade de France, and end up with a completely different program in the end. Some 3.25 million tickets sold in the first phase in February, and two-thirds of the 1.5 million tickets on sale for the second phase sold out in just 48 hours. A third and final phase of individual ticket sales – this time without a lottery – is scheduled for the end of 2023.
As for public transport, there too, a lot of concerns. In Paris, the trains are far from fluid, whether it is the metro or the RER (regional express network). Line B, which serves the department of Seine-Saint-Denis, where several events will take place next summer, is giving organizers headaches.
Many sites are quite poorly served by transport on busy days, such as the Parc des Princes soccer stadium, Roland-Garros or the Palace of Versailles. Jean Castex, who until recently was Prime Minister and who is now at the head of the Autonomous Paris Transport Authority, must remedy this as soon as possible. For the organizers of Paris 2024, the bet is still far from won.
“At the committee, we are fully aware of the many challenges ahead of us,” Estanguet admitted. Although there will be difficulties on our way, we are convinced that we will have an Olympic Games that will remain unforgettable. »
