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≡ SURVEY REPORT ≡
The Paris Region Institute, an urban-planning center, released the results of a 4,500-person survey held after the 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games in Paris, with the event received much better afterwards than before.
Interestingly, the fears shown in the May 2024 edition of the survey went way down in the post-Games review in September:
● 79% said Games raises public safety risk before, 55% afterwards
● 77% said Games were a nuisance, 60% afterwards
● 65% cited bad environmental impact, 47% afterwards
● 81% cited increased costs, 76% afterwards
The survey also showed positive achievements for the Games:
● 84% said the Games were a good thing for France (72% before)
● 78% said France’s influence increased (65% before)
● 72% said Games helped regional infrastructure (65% before)
● 61% said the Games helped the economy (54% before)
This reflects the success of the Games and as the post-Games was taken in September, it does not reflect the end-of-year announcement that the organizing committee finished with a financial surplus.
The survey showed 88% of people in the Ile-de-France region – which includes Paris – followed the Games closely, through attention to:
● 76%: competitions
● 65%: ceremonies
● 61%: following the Torch Relay
● 7%: checking the medal table
● 12%: non-sporting aspects
Interest in the Paralympic Games was also quite good, at 81%
● 69%: competitions
● 57%: ceremonies
● 42%: following the Torch Relay
● 8%: checking the medal table
Moreover, the survey reported no mass exodus from the area during the Games. Remembering that August is usually a vacation month in France, the survey showed 84% of residents stayed in the region during the Olympic Games and 86% during the Paralympics. Only 6% said they left the area during the Olympics and 4% during the Paralympics.
There was also heightened interest in the Games from those in the Ile-de-France than outside of the region. Post-Games reporting of interest in following the Games was up 3% from the May level for the Olympics and up 6.5% for the Paralympics.
Although there were more than 12 million tickets sold, the survey notes the biggest turnout was for the free street events, such as the cycling road races and marathons:
“Nearly one in five Parisians [18%] was a direct spectator of an Olympic competition, this proportion being largely achieved thanks to the events organised in public spaces, with the possibility of attending them free of charge, without a ticket (cycling races, marathon, triathlon, open water swimming, etc.). 14% of Parisians visited a Paralympic competition site as spectators.
“In addition to the competition sites, many fan zones (party zones) were set up in the various territories of the region. These party places were widely frequented by the people of the Paris region: they welcomed up to 7% of the people of the Paris region for the Olympic Games and 4% for the Paralympics.”
And public turnout for Games activities beyond the competitions and the Games themselves was strong:
“[M]any fan zones were set up by local authorities. Public stakeholders and sports associations thus offered activities around the discovery and practice of certain Olympic and Paralympic sports, or awareness-raising activities on the health benefits of sport. Many cultural events were also organized as part of the Cultural Olympiad.
“Thus, 21% of Paris residents indicated that they had participated in festive events organized on the occasion of the Games.”
The report concludes that the “Olympic magic” was real in the Paris region: “there was indeed a ‘territory’ effect – proximity, actions implemented to support the event, etc. – in monitoring the Olympic and Paralympic Games.”
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