PARIS, Aug 10 — As the Paris Games enter the home stretch, data shows that not only have visitors taken in sporting events but also theatre and museum outings. The City of Light's rich cultural portfolio has seen a large increase in visitor spending.

As the 2024 Olympic Games draw to a close and the torch is passed to the Paralympics, the first results are in, particularly in terms of consumer spending. Prior to the launch of the premier international sporting event, the Centre de Droit et d'Economie du Sport de Limoges estimated that the Olympic and Paralympic Games could generate 10.7 billion euros in economic spin-offs. In London in 2012, the last European city to previously host the Games, consumer goods sales rose by 5.3%, thanks to the influx of both domestic and foreign tourists.

In France, the experts at NielsenIq anticipated in April a surge in sales of products traditionally associated with sports viewership. As with a World Cup or European Cup soccer match, the volume of beer sales is expected to rise by between 10% and 20% during the Olympic period, compared with last summer. The cabinet also estimated that pizza sales would rise by 5-10%, and non-fizzy fruit drinks by 10-15%. These estimates remain to be confirmed.

With Visa an exclusive partner of the Paris 2024 Games, the data recorded by the US-based payments company gives an initial idea of visitors' expenditures . And while much has been said about restaurants and cafés as the standard-bearers of Parisian culture, it appears that visitors have allocated much of their budget to museums and theaters. Spending in this area jumped 159% during the opening weekend of the Olympic Games. Visitors also stocked up on groceries and supermarket items (+42%). They also headed out to restaurants (+36%). The Paris Convention and Visitors Bureau estimated that the Olympic and Paralympic Games would attract 16.1 million visitors, nine out of ten of whom were French, Americans, the most represented nationality among foreigners, were also the biggest spenders -- their purchases jumped 64%. Spending by Germans followed the same trend (61%).

But Paris is not the only city to benefit from the consumer boom. In Saint-Etienne, which hosted soccer matches, spending soared by 214%. In Lille, where the Olympic basketball and handball matches took place, the bill already stands at +100%. — AFP