(Paris) Despite the return of tourists after two years of pandemic, the Eiffel Tower, the most famous French monument, is preparing to live “another difficult year” in 2022, explains in an interview with AFP the president of the Eiffel Tower operating company (SETE) Jean-François Martins.
Posted at 8:50 a.m.
The Parisian monument attracts around 20,000 people a day, just like in the good old days. Helped by the weather, “these school holidays and sunny weekends have confirmed the attractiveness of the tower on the French and nearby European market”, underlines Mr. Martins.
The strong comeback of Europeans (60%), the “good presence of Americans” (17%) and the French, a “real novelty” (15%), are the strong trends after two closures, with a cumulative duration of year, caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Goal 5.5 million
This is enough to partially compensate for the slow recovery of tour operators and the absence of “distant markets”, in particular Asians: the Eiffel Tower, which has welcomed 1.6 million visitors since the start of the year, is targeting 5.5 million visitors. admissions for 2022, “10% less than in 2019”, the last reference year.
“It may seem extremely positive, but the 10% that is missing is our margin,” summarizes Mr. Martins. And if the deficit for 2021 was lower than expected thanks to “a good end of the year” – 43 million instead of 70, after 52 million in 2020 – SETE “should still have a difficult year” financially in 2022 .
“This new deficit situation will very probably require a new recapitalization” by the shareholders of the company, indicates its president, who still hopes for specific aid from the State.
In the meantime, the monument is still struggling with its 20and painting campaign, which aims to restore it to its original “yellow-brown” color in view of the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris. From 50 million euros at the start, the cost has risen to 92 million, indicates its leader who keeps the objective of completing the operation “if possible before the Games”.
Started in 2019, the operation was complicated and slowed down by the discovery of traces of lead in the previous layers. This health threat “remains the major concern of the painting site, which justifies that we take 114 samples per week, including 92 in public areas”, underlines the former deputy for sport and tourism at the Paris City Hall.
Delinquent acts
“As soon as there is a rate above the norm, we clean up and try to understand. We check that all of this remains under control, below the thresholds, ”he explains.
Another sensitive subject for the Eiffel Tower: delinquent acts on the site, more numerous with the return of tourists. At the end of April, a major police operation came to hunt pickpockets, street vendors or hat players, the main acts of delinquency recorded.
“The problem is real, both for our visitors and for our employees”, recognizes Mr. Martins who calls for a “permanent” police presence.
SETE also keeps an eye open to environmental issues. The felling planned at the foot of the Eiffel Tower of around twenty trees, some of which are very old, as part of the project to allow the construction of luggage storage and premises for employees, sparked such controversy at the end of April that the mayor of Paris gave it up in a few days.
The commitment not to cut them down “forces us to review the project”, concedes Mr. Martins for whom SETE “has vital needs to accommodate (its) teams” temporarily installed in modules.
As for luggage, “desirable”, but not “necessary”, “we haven’t had any for 133 years, we will perhaps survive a few more years. »