Visa data shows how spending at the Olympic Games Paris 2024 is boosting the french economy

  • 26% year-on-year rise in sales for Paris small businesses during the first weekend of the Olympic Games Paris 2024  
  • Significant increase in spending from Visa cardholders in many areas of commerce including restaurants, theatres and museums
  • Biggest share of overseas spend comes from U.S. Visa cardholders, with most significant increases in year-on-year spending from Japan and Brazil

Tuesday 6th August - Visa, the Official Payment Technology Partner of the Olympic and Paralympic Games, today releases new data revealing initial consumer spending patterns during the opening weekend of the Olympic Games Paris 2024.

The world leader in digital payments has identified the positive impact that Paris 2024 is having in boosting commerce in Paris:

  • Small businesses in Paris benefitted from 26% year-on-year rise in sales from Visa cardholders during the first weekend of the Olympic Games
  • Most significant increase in spending levels in Paris were seen in theatres & museums +159%, food & grocery + 42%, restaurants +36%, retail goods +21%, entertainment +18%
  • The largest share of overseas spend comes from U.S. Visa cardholders (29%), with significant year-on-year increases from Brazilian (+33%) and Japanese (+129%) Visa cardholders. 
  • 78% of international purchases in Paris have been contactless, up 9% year-on-year
  • 39% increase in flight bookings to Paris in the lead up to the Games over the same period in 2023 
  • Increased travel to Paris by travellers under the age of 35, growing 120% year-on-year 
  • Travellers to Paris from the U.S  increased the most from the previous year (+64%), followed by Germany (+61%) and Spain (+27%)
  • Spending is also up significantly in cities hosting Olympic events outside Paris including Saint-Etienne (+214%), Lille (+100%) and Marseille (+38%)
     

Charlotte Hogg, Chief Executive Officer of Visa Europe, said: “As a sponsor of the Olympic Movement for almost 40 years and the Paralympic Games since 2002, we know first-hand the impact that the Games can have to boost host-country economies, in line with Visa’s purpose to uplift everyone everywhere.  Our latest data shows a significant increase in consumer spending among Visa cardholders during the Opening Ceremony Weekend.

We’re particularly pleased to see the uptick in spending at French small-businesses after we helped 13 million of them digitise over the last 4 years in Europe and connected them to spectators through the Visa Go app.

The increased engagement of younger generations, which we see in the travel data, is also an exciting finding and shows the reach and relevance of the Games today and into the future.”

Visa’s responsibility to provide payment systems for the Olympic and Paralympic Games requires a robust and venue-specific plan combined with large-scale operations. Working hand-in-hand with the Organising Committee for the last three years, Visa has built a custom payment network across Paris and beyond, which ensures Visa contactless payments are accepted at 3,500 points of sale across 32 Olympic venues and 16 Paralympic venues. 

Visa has launched the Visa Go app to connect spectators and tourists with local businesses during the Games. Visitors can download the Visa Go App here: https://go.paris.visa.com/home 

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About Visa Inc. 
Visa (NYSE: V) is a world leader in digital payments, facilitating transactions between consumers, merchants, financial institutions and government entities across more than 200 countries and territories. Our mission is to connect the world through the most innovative, convenient, reliable and secure payments network, enabling individuals, businesses and economies to thrive. We believe that economies that include everyone everywhere, uplift everyone everywhere and see access as foundational to the future of money movement. Learn more at Visa.com. 

Disclaimer:
Case studies, statistics, research and recommendations are provided “AS IS” and intended for informational purposes only and should not be relied upon for operational, marketing, legal, technical, tax, financial or other advice. Visa Inc. does not make any warranty or representation as to the completeness or accuracy of the Information within this document, nor assume any liability or responsibility that may result from reliance on such Information. The Information contained herein is not intended as legal advice, and readers are encouraged to seek the advice of a competent legal professional where such advice is required.

Notes to editors:

The figures were analysed by global network VisaNet and compare the below dates:

• Olympic Ceremony Weekend: Compare the weekends 28/29/30 July 2023 and 26/27/28 July 2024

• Figures include flights to Paris between 2024-07-19 and 2024-08-11 (compared to the previous year) and at least 45 days lead time

Figures compare the weekends 28/29/30 July 2023 and 26/27/28 July 2024

¹Figures include flights to Paris between 2024-07-19 and 2024-08-11 (compared ²to the previous year) and at least 45 days lead time 
³US Visa Cardholders