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The idea to put in place the Olympics in Paris is great : the fact this event took place in different places in the world is something I stand for. I am also proud to have such events which show how much sport counts in our hearts. However, we can underline several major problems. What can be controversial with the Olympics which will occur in Paris is that some activities will be in the Seine. However, it was forbidden to swim in it. I can personally understand why people disagree with this idea. The Seine is not the cleanest river. Because of the pollution in the river, the possibility of getting bacterias which can provoke gastroenteritis or urinary tract infections. Indeed, according to the ‘Journal du dimanche’, 70% of French people have a bad image of the Seine. There is still this problem of money : I mean, to set up the Olympics costs a lot of money, and I believe this amount can be used for something which is more needed, such as poverty, starvation…

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Hosting the Olympic Games is a huge opportunity to show our culture and welcome the world. In addition to seeing the streets of Paris full of tourists, these Olympic Games are also an engine of motivation to finally think about Parisian problems. Indeed, a new organization of public transport or a big cleaning of the Sène is set up.

However, like every major event of this magnitude, large limits are observable and cannot be ignored. The first and most representative of the problems encountered each time. Indeed many polemics surf around the events planned at Teahupo'o. Unsurprisingly, the organization of events in nature like surfing competition, destroys the environment without too much worry. The alarm calls come mainly from the premises and no real solution is found.

Thus we can wonder if the couple economy and sport is really favorable to that between respect for the environment and sport

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The 2024 olympic games are a really conntroversial subject. Especially in Paris where this is noot for me, the best place to do it. Trying to make the Seine clean for the swimming competition could be good, and give a nice picture of Paris. But on the other hand, for me there is a ton of things to do in Paris before loose millions of dollars in this. Lot of things in Paris need to be improving for the residents. I hope now this money would give a big ROI to improve things in Paris after the olympic games.

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There are good and bad points in the Paris Olympics organisation. Cleaning the Seine water is a great idea. Being able to bathe in such an iconic river without catching diseases would be very goof for Parisians in the future. It is thanks to the Paris Olympics that this cleaning project has been started. However, other aspects of the project are scary. For example, building tons of new infrastructures that won't even be used anymore after the Olympics is not worth the resources and money invested for local population. It is will be profitable for the government thanks to tourism but Parisians will have their habitat disturbed. Prices are gonna rise and finding affordable housing might become extremely difficult for them.

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The main issues is that Olympic Games are really expensives. The money used for the games could have been used for a different purpose, such as renewing schools, hospitals, roads, ect.

The positive aspect is that the city will be cleaned, and Parisian will be abble to enjoy swimming in the Seine. Futhermore, it will send a good image of France internationnaly, and it will attract a lot of people.

But is the positive aspect worth it ? Parisian will have struggles to find appartments, and to pay rent. Most of the people living in Paris will have to leave during the games. Moreover, The olympic games are not at all sustainable, as we need to build new infrastructures that will only be used for a few months.

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I find the 2024 Olympics very interesting to analyse because they are the subject of controversy on many points, whether political, social, economic or even ecological. We can see that France and the city of Paris are advocating "eco-responsible" games, but in reality this is not quite the case, as it turns out that predictions of greenhouse gas emissions are higher than 1.56 million. On the social front, there is the issue of the homeless, who are being ejected from the city of Paris and rehoused in the countryside in order to give the perfect image. Then there's the political question of "should we accept Russian sportsmen and women? Finally, from an economic point of view, it's a huge plus, because we know all the revenue that will be generated at the time and after the Olympic Games.

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Parts of the "Paris Olympics" will take place in Tahiti, where for only 3 days of competition they need to build an aluminium tower (costing 4 millions euros) that will have damaging effects on the reef. Is it really necessary?

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Paris 2024 have pushed their sustainability credentials despite the surfing events being held 16,000 km away.

Olympic surfers will have to brave some of the world's biggest waves when they compete in French Polynesia next July.

But the faraway venue has also raised many logistical and environmental questions. The rest of the Summer Games are in the host city, Paris, nearly 16,000 kilometres and 10 time zones away.

Flying 48 surfers, judges, journalists and others so far looks awkward against Paris organisers' stated ambition of reducing the Olympics' carbon footprint by half. Four other surf spots that also bid were dotted along France's Atlantic coast and could easily have been reached by train and bus from the French capital.

Controversial plans for a new aluminium judges' tower have also drawn criticism from environmentalists and local surfers for its potential impact on marine life.

Why is the Olympic surfing being held in Tahiti?

For big-wave enthusiasts, the volcanic island of Tahiti makes sense. The giant swells form in the storm belts of the Southern Ocean, off Antarctica, where whales roam. Supercharged by intense winds, they then roll on an ocean journey of thousands of kilometres to crash into Tahiti in the South Pacific.

The location promises more dramatic television images than when the sport made its Olympic debut at the Tokyo Games in 2021. Then, the waves on Tsurigasaki Beach were sometimes modest, and COVID dented the atmosphere.

Tahiti also has Teahupo'o, a village on the southern shore with lagoons that get the full force of the swells, generating dream surf for the courageous.

"If the conditions are really good, it's going to be a great contest to watch," says surfer Kauli Vaast, an Olympic medal hopeful. The Olympics "are going to be like crazy".

Teahupo'o translates from Tahitian as 'wall of heads'. The name refers to a tribal battle where heads were severed, but it's also appropriate for such fearsome waves. The deep ocean bed rises steeply on final approach to Teahupo'o's offshore reefs, forcing the water into towering walls and huge, rolling tubes.

They are perilous. Surfers who fall risk being body-slammed onto the sharp and shallow corals, which tore chunks off the face of Hawaiian surfer Keala Kennelly when she tumbled in 2011.

Because Teahupo'o's surf breaks offshore, the Olympic judges have to be out in the lagoon, too.

Aluminium viewing tower raises environmental concerns

Organisers intend to house the judges and television cameras on an aluminium tower that will jut out of the ocean. That plan has sparked protests in Tahiti. Its critics fear for coral and other marine life.

Tahitian surfer Matahi Drollet is one of the most vocal opponents. His protest videos on Instagram have racked up hundreds of thousands of views.

A minimal impact viewing tower already exists in Teahupo'o. Built 20 years ago, it has been successfully used for judging and live filming of professional World Surf League (WSL) contests.

But Paris 2024 organisers say that the original tower's foundations do not meet current safety requirements due to natural degradation and corrosion of the structure. A study found that it could not be brought up to standard even if renovation works were carried out.

The option of having judges on the shore or on a boat would not give them sufficient visibility or allow adequate television coverage, Olympic organisers add.

The new €4.6 million aluminium tower would have concrete foundations, and protesters claim large swathes of reef would need to be cleared to make way for drilling. Drollet claims it is being built to provide air conditioning and flushing toilets.

"This new construction is going to destroy a big part of the reef," with disastrous impacts on the marine ecosystem that might only become clear in years to come, he says in a video posted on Instagram. In another video, underwater scenes of a thriving coral reef reportedly show the proposed building site for the tower.

But Paris 2024 organisers have refuted this, sharing a video of the proposed site showing a relatively flat sea bed with coral primarily only on the original foundations. They say the new foundations will be inserted in the intervals of the existing plots to avoid impacting the coral that has developed.

Any coral on the site will be moved outside the work zone according to strict environmental protocols to protect it, they add.

"The protection of the natural environment at Teahupo'o has always been a priority in the conception of all envisaged solutions for the site," Paris 2024 organisers said in a press release last month. "All development plans at Teahupo'o have been studied to minimise impact on the environment."

As well as ensuring safety, the new judges' tower must "guarantee good conditions for the refereeing of the competition, in particular by offering the judges the necessary visibility over the entire wave," they add.

Activists are concerned construction will impact marine life and waves

Drollet says the construction could lead to the spread of ciguatera, a disease that poisons fish and makes them inedible - a particular concern for the fishing town. Previous construction in the fragile marine environments has sparked the disease.

He is even concerned that the tower could modify the waves in the region.

"The impact and the risks are too important for only three days of contest," Drollet says.

"No contest in this world is worth the destruction of nature," he adds in a follow up video. "This goes against the true value of surfing and sports in general."

Titouan Bernicot, founder and CEO of Coral Gardeners - a project that plants coral in French Polynesia - adds, "What will we tell the next generation that for three days of competition we could have destroyed one of the most important ecosystems on our planet?"

They say the plans are at odds with Paris 2024's promise, stated on its website, to "place sustainability at the heart of its project and inspire new standards".

From from January, Paris 2024 organisers are holding monthly public meetings where associations, residents and stakeholders can air their concerns. Representatives of the associations have also been invited to attend each stage of the installation of the tower, starting this month.

They have already settled on a leaner, smaller tower than originally planned, to minimise its environmental impact. This will reduce the depth of drilling for the foundations and allow the use of a barge with a shallower draught during the construction phase.

Olympics could boost tourism in Tahiti

Vaast acknowledges widespread concern about the Olympics' footprint in the Teahupo'o lagoon, saying: "We [are] all scared if they're doing something big."

But he also expects the Olympic spotlight to boost the tourism industry that underpins the Tahitian economy.

"It's going to be great to see a lot of people getting interested in French Polynesia," he says. "And with the construction for the Olympics and stuff, it creates a lot of work for the local people."

21-year-old Vaast hopes the island's legendary surfing conditions are his ticket to a gold medal. He is one of only two French Polynesian surfers qualified so far. The other is Vahine Fierro in the women's competition.

Growing up surrounded by the vast Pacific, Vaast swam, fished and surfed as a kid and was just eight when he first tackled Teahupo'o waves.

He remembers being terrified of their reputation, but he was hooked by their beauty and power. Tahitians say the waves have 'Mana', life-affirming spiritual energy. Vaast believes that his intimate knowledge of Teahupo'o gives him home-field advantage and the "chance of a lifetime" in July.

"I feel this energy nowhere [else] in the world, only in Tahiti, at Teahupo'o," says Vaast, who often travels on the surfing circuit. "When you go there, you need to be respectful because if you respect [it], like the ocean is going to respect you."

For France, the Tahitian venue will allow the host country to highlight its long historical ties to the Pacific and involve its far-off overseas territories in the Summer Games.

Teahupo'o, Tahiti's jewel, is primed to wow.

"When you're in the barrel, you see the mountains" and colours that are "super clear", Vaast says. "You can see the corals underneath... Beautiful. The most beautiful place in the world."

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Surfers protest against Olympic viewing platform in Tahiti's ocean

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Paris 2024 have pushed their sustainability credentials despite the surfing events being held 16,000 km away.

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As it is presented today, I think these are great objectives and it's good to think about that for a massive sport event like this one. With what I read on internet, I think that the project is not really greenwashing and it would somehow manage to keep the objectives and to reach them. In another part, if we talk about the surf competition in Thaiti it will hurt the local faune and destroy the corrals. So in a way this project is good but they didn't think about everything.

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The Olympics are a good thing; they showcase, on one hand, the power of France and also allow the whole world to see Paris in its best light. However, this has personal consequences. The fact that so many people arrive in Paris at the same time is not a good thing because it is not well-managed in terms of transportation, accommodation, etc. Paris is becoming an uninhabitable city during this period when there are already a considerable number of tourists.

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De nombreux Parisiens s'inquiètent déjà de ne plus pouvoir circuler dans la capitale au moment des Jeux Olympiques en raison des nombreux touristes venus assister aux compétitions sportives. Pourtant, selon la Mairie de Paris, le niveau de fréquentation touristique devrait être " similaire à celui d'autres périodes ", a assuré mercredi soir Frédéric Hocquard, adjoint au Tourisme, lors d'un point presse.

" Les JO, il y a plein de touristes qui viennent, mais il y en a aussi plein qui ne viennent pas. Il n'y aura pas de multiplication par deux du nombre de visiteurs ", a-t-il affirmé. Selon la direction de l'Office du tourisme de Paris, ces grandes manifestations entraînent rarement un boom de la fréquentation touristique en raison, notamment, de la hausse des prix constatée dans l'hébergement.

Et Paris ne risque pas d'échapper à la règle puisque les prix des hébergements ont déjà augmenté de 28 % en quatre ans dans Paris, avec une moyenne de 189 euros la nuitée, notamment sous l'effet de l'inflation.

Selon les estimations hautes, l'Office du tourisme de Paris anticipe 15,9 millions de visiteurs cumulés pendant les JO 2024. Dans ce cas de figure, le taux d'occupation des hébergements marchands se situerait entre 60,1 % et 82,6 %, contre 61,3 % en période normale.

Une fréquentation presque au niveau d'avant crise

Pourtant, le tourisme a repris des couleurs dans la capitale et les taux de fréquentation au premier trimestre 2023 se rapprochent déjà de ceux de 2019. Dans le détail, quelque 11,6 millions de touristes ont été accueillis dans le Grand Paris entre janvier et avril 2023, ce qui représente une hausse de 27,2 % par rapport à 2022 et une baisse de seulement 2,5 % par rapport à 2019.

Plus de la moitié des touristes sont de nationalité française (53,3 %), une répartition quasi similaire à l'avant-Covid. Les touristes étrangers les plus représentés viennent des Etats-Unis et du Royaume-Uni (7,0 %) et, dans une moindre mesure, d'Allemagne, d'Italie et du Brésil.

" Il y a des changements, la Chine mais aussi la Corée ou le Japon sont très peu présents, mais on retrouve malgré cela une fréquentation similaire à 2019 avec une augmentation des pays européens comme l'Espagne, l'Italie, le Portugal ou l'Autriche ", a déclaré l'adjoint au Tourisme, Frédéric Hocquard. Pour l'année 2023, la fréquentation pourrait dépasser les 37 millions de touristes à l'échelle du Grand Paris, contre 38,5 millions en 2019.

Une dépense moyenne en hausse

La dépense moyenne des touristes internationaux a par ailleurs dépassé les niveaux de 2019 avec 390 dollars (360 euros) dépensés en moyenne par carte et par séjour, contre 356 dollars (328,6 euros) sur une période comparable pré-Covid. Les Américains sont les plus dépensiers, avec 703 dollars dépensés en moyenne par séjour, suivi par les Espagnols (526 dollars) et le Royaume-Uni (406 dollars).

La part des nuitées d'affaires a aussi presque retrouvé son niveau d'avant crise, de même que les taux d'occupation hôteliers. " Les indicateurs sont véritablement au vert ", a jugé Corinne Menegaux, la directrice générale de l'Office de tourisme de Paris.
Avec AFP

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Paris : les JO ne devraient pas doubler la fréquentation touristique

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La mairie assure s'attendre à un taux de fréquentation " similaire à celui d'autres périodes " pendant les JO 2024, alors que le tourisme a repris des couleurs à Paris, rattrapant les niveaux d'avant Covid.

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The JO 2024 is a very good thing for the national identity and reflect for France.

But all good things have bad ones.

For example, we can take the surf which has to be in Tahiti but a lot of people aren’t agree because of the danger for the sea and the reef. People advice to do it in Hossegor but this is just an idea.

It’s important that JO isn’t a danger for locals or environnement.

Also, there is an impact on real estate for the price of the rent but also for locals who are force to rent because Paris has no more space and don’t want to build other infrastructures. This is an impact on way of life, not also on nature.

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In term of economie the economie impact study reveals that Paris 2024 could generate 10.7BN€ in eoconomic benefits and create 250 000 jobs. For the political part, it's important to say that it's gonna put Paris, The France on the first plan wich is good. For the social part, a lot of different nationnalities will be present, for the scoail insertion it's perfect. Regarding the environnemental point, the JO are and will not be sustainable wich is, with the actual situation, not the best.

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The Paris 2024 Olympic Games will be organized with a view to reducing their CO2 emissions and with a lot of innovation. They will try to reuse existing buildings to build as few as possible. As for water sports, they want to organize them in the Seine, so they have cleaned the Seine, which had not been done for many years. To accommodate athletes and journalists, they created the village in Saint Denis which will then be reused for the local population. Unfortunately they also have to accommodate all the spectators and for that there is not enough accommodation so they "fired" the students to get their apartment and rent it for the spectators.

The 2024 Olympics will help France and Paris a lot, in terms of visibility but it is also an opportunity to clean the Seine by making it cleaner and to create housing but there is also a negative side since Paris is not prepared enough to accommodate so many people.

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It's very good to see that the 2024 Olympic Games will be in Fance because it will show the beuty of our country and our cities but there is some bad aspects.

First for the local population beaucause actually Paris welcome a lot of tourists wich is good for economy but the city is already too frequented by tourists, and during olypics games it will be worst.

Also for the cost of living, the prices will a lot increase. And finally for the ecology and the health of the athletes all the ideas ae not always good.

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For the tourism it's great. I think it's good is if there are different action concerning the sustainable. For example they want to reduce the carbon emission from 3,5 millions to 1,5 millions it's very good, and they make the green infrastructure!!

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It is good that the olympics games are being organized in Paris.

The impact of the olympics games could be positive for the country's economy, and also because there will be an increase in employment.

But it can also be a negative point, because of all the people who will be coming and creating more pollution in Paris.

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The Olympic Games continue to grow in size and cost. Data shows that the bigger an event is, the less sustainable it is. The trend towards gigantism encourages an increase in greenhouse gas emissions. We learn that they hope to succeed in offsetting their impact. In fact, a company is going to finance a tree-planting project, capable of removing the same amount of gas from the atmosphere. Despite the enormous size of the event, they are trying to raise awareness of the environment.

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This event is a great opportunity for betting and France in general because it will highlight our country, moreover it is an acceleration for the economy and also the opportunity for us to win plsu medals

but there are still negative points, it is a project that will cost the country dearly and moreover the construction the snombre of tourism and people for this event will have a big impact on our environment

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Economic impact:

Positive: Income generation from luxury real estate, job creation in construction, stimulating the tourism and leisure industry.

Negative: Financial risks linked to the viability of the project, increased economic dependence on the luxury real estate and tourism industry.

Environmental impact :

Positive: Potential for green infrastructure improvements, integration of sustainable technologies.

Negative: Destruction of marine ecosystem, construction-related greenhouse gas emissions, pollution risks.

Social impact :

Positive: Creation of local jobs, improvement of public infrastructure, stimulation of the service sector.

Negative: Displacement of local populations, safety risks for workers, gentrification and social exclusion.

Cultural impact :

Positive: Promotion of local culture, cultural exchanges with international visitors.

Negative: Risk of excessive commercialization, loss of cultural authenticity, modification of local social fabric.

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Swimming win the river Seine might be a good idea for the image of eco-friendly city as Paris. Besides as said is the video, the river high polluted. They say that they are working on it. And we have seen the boat taking the rubbish away from the river. It's a beginning but the river stays bad. The quality of the river is judged satisfied one day and not the day after.

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The Paris 2024 Olympics claim to be environmentally friendly, but some people think it might just be for show. They're worried it's more about looking good than actually helping the planet. While using existing places and promoting public transportation are good ideas, making a real difference depends on how well they actually do these things. It's not just about the Olympic games; it's about keeping the environment in mind for a long time. So, we'll have to wait and see if they're truly serious about saving the planet.

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For a economic tourism is good but the risk is that there could be a very high average population while Paris is too populated. This will have a strong environmental impact.

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The Olympic Games are the catalyst for a host of other initiatives that will have wider and lasting impacts across French society, including the health benefits of physical activities. With the backing of various public partners, Paris 2024 set up an endowment fund for social innovation, and health sector.

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during the Olympics the population will encounter problems to circulate in the capital but the police prefecture tells us that things will be set up so that the residents can circulate in paris to go about their occupation

I think it makes a real promotion for France so that we can resume notoriously travel after the covid but it is not necessarily beneficial that it was necessary to move our beautiful capital to be able to welcome the athletes and their supporters who will come of course also to visit the country

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Paris 2024 : les pouvoirs publics cherchent à rassurer sur l’impact des restrictions de circulation durant les Jeux olympiques

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La Préfecture de police de Paris, qui a dévoilé mercredi 29 novembre les futures zones de régulation de la circulation durant les Jeux, assure vouloir pénaliser le moins possible la vie économique et sociale, tout en assurant la sécurité.

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On Saturday 2 December, the President of French Polynesia, Moetai Brotherson, cancelled his planned visit to Teahupoo, where the surfing competition for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games is due to take place, after once again questioning the "sustainability" of the event.

During technical tests carried out on Friday, and filmed by environmental associations, the barge planned for the installation of the new judges' tower broke coral. "What had been planned as a test went badly wrong, and I regret that like everyone else. There are two possible attitudes: either you give up or you don't do the Games any more. That's not my mentality, and I don't think that's what the people of Teahupoo and Tahiti want", declared Moetai Brotherson on local television channel TNTV.

Moetai Brotherson decided to cancel the tests scheduled in his presence on Saturday and to suspend the work that was due to start on Monday 4 December, ruling out the use of the old wooden tower as the associations wished. "Today, we broke some coral, tomorrow, if we use these old devices, we are potentially putting lives at risk, and I will not take that responsibility", he explained.

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For tourism, it is a good thing that Olympic Games take place in Paris.

However, it is a shame that they need this kind of event to start cleaning the city and the river. Lots of the actions that take place should have been made earlier.

Nevertheless, thos actions and the structures build will be usefull for a long time and it is a good point for all french people.

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This action made for the Olympics is a very good action but I think it is a pity that it is realize in the first place to have a better image of the athletes and tourists coming for this great and unique opportunity. While this action could be carried out more frequently in order to reduce the permanent pollution of rivers. Even if it can cost a lot of staff and take time to complete this project, this project becomes very important and essential in Paris. Making areas within the seine to be able to swim and very well because the beach can be a few hours from the capital and may not motivate certain while finding swimming areas near will also attract many people. It should be done in more cities and not just for special occasions.