Report: Tourism in Paris to recover over 13 months

The 13 November terrorist attacks in Paris had an immediate impact on tourism, with monuments and sites around the city shut down for days. To recover from the lasting impacts on tourism should take 13 months, according to research by the World Trade and Tourism Council (WTTC).

A crowd in Paris under the Eiffel Tower. Image by Jamin Gray / CC BY-SA 2.0

The co-ordinated attacks in Paris killed 130 people, many of whom were seeing a concert at the Bataclan and other who were visiting cafes and restaurants.

While more than a year may seem long, it’s less time than it takes for a tourism industry to bounce back from disease, natural disaster and political unrest, according to Fortune business magazine’s report on the research. It takes 21 months for tourism in a given area to recover from a disease outbreak, 24 months for an environmental disaster and 27 months for political unrest.

The study looked at 32 countries hit by crises since 2001 and how long it took for the number of tourists to regular levels, reports the Telegraph.

Screen grab of police on the streets of Paris after gunmen opened fire in multiple attacks. Image by BBC News 24/PA Wire

In some cases, the study found that terrorism had little to no effect on visitors. After the bombing in London in 2005, there was no notable impact to tourism, according to WTTC.

The Paris attacks did lead to many reports of trips cancellations, multiple airlines allowed for flight changes, and the country remains in a three-month state of emergency. But many people said they would return to the city to show their support.

Earlier this year, the United Nations World Tourism Organization reported that France had more than 83 million visitors in 2014, making it the most visited nation in the world.