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Mixed fortunes for French monuments during Paris 2024 Olympic Games

Featured Image: madras91/CC BY 2.0

France’s Centre de Monuments Nationaux (CNM), which manages around 100 landmarks and historic sites in the country, recorded 11 million visitors in 2024 thanks in part to the Olympic Games.

The Olympic Games were held in Paris last year from July 26 to August 11 following the Torch Relay which began on May 8 and ran until the Opening Ceremony in the capital city.

It visited 64 territories on its route, and CNM sites on the route experienced a boost in visitors.

The Conciergerie in Paris, for example, saw its number of tickets sold increase by 40% from October to December compared to the same period in 2023.

Other Parisian attractions such as the Centre Pompidou recorded a 22% increase in attendance compared to 2023 with 3.2 million visitors.

However, Paris 2024 resulted in lower attendance figures for the Louvre, the city’s most visited museum, in July and August.

It recorded a 14% drop in the Olympic months and was closed on July 25 and 26 for the Opening Ceremony.

The Musée d’Orsay and the Musée de l’Orangerie welcomed 4.9 million people in 2024, which was 3% less than in 2023.