The Games of the XXXIII Olympiad also known as the 2024 Summer Olympic and Paralympic Games are scheduled to take place in Paris, France from 26 July to 11 August and 28 August to 8 September, simultaneously. The tournaments will span across iconic landmarks in Paris such as the Eiffel Tower Stadium, Champs de Mars, Grand Palais, Trocadéro, Butte de Montmartre, Esplanade des Invalides, Pont Alexandre III Bridge, Place de la Concorde and Château de Versailles. Outside of Paris, the games will be played across the entire Île-de-France region, from Les Yvelines to Hauts-de-Seine, Seine-et-Marne and Seine-Saint-Denis; and at stadiums in Bordeaux, Nantes, Lyon, Saint-Etienne, Nice, Marseille and faraway Tahiti. There will be 32 sports and 329 events at the Paris Games. 

The Opening Ceremony

The opening ceremony, a six-kilometre parade of the athletes along the River Seine, will be held on 26 July. Slightly over 300,000 people are expected to attend the opening ceremony, about half the size of what was originally planned. 

Travel Rush and Security Alert

According to the Paris Tourist Office, over 15.9 million spectators are expected to view the games, of which almost 2 million international visitors are expected to fly into France during the games. On 24 March, just months before the Paris Olympics, French Prime Minister Gabriel Attal raised the Vigipirate level to its maximum level of “emergency attack” across France, after an attack in Moscow, claimed by the Islamic State, killed over 137 and injured at least 100 others. 

Currently, security is the main worry and focus of the authorities for the Olympics in Paris, a city where terrifying attacks by Islamic extremists have occurred on multiple occasions. The contentious decision by the International Olympic Committee to allow Russians and Belarusians to compete as neutral athletes despite Russia’s invasion of Ukraine more than two years ago (with assistance from Belarus) is another factor fueling concerns about the Summer Games. 

In order to help protect certain sensitive areas in the Olympic Games, France has asked its international allies to send a few thousand members of their own security forces as reinforcements. Up to 45,000 French police and gendarmes are set to be deployed each day during the Olympics. Around 18,000 troops are also expected to be mobilized, according to government figures. Another 18,000-22,000 private security guards will be on the ground for the games.

Recent Political Instability in France

Considering the recent political turmoil across France and sporadic demonstrations in Paris and nearby cities against the inclusion of abortion in the Constitution, evictions and the housing policies, strikes and protests by teachers, nurses, police officers, farmers and other public sector workers, authorities fear severe travel disruptions for tourists and others visiting the city to witness the games. Disruptions are, however, already expected in the transportation network since the CGT announced a seven-month strike notice over pay issues at transport operator RATP from February 5 to September 9.

The General Confederation of Labour (Confédération Générale du Travail, CGT), a national trade union centre, said that a major French union warned of possible strikes, including at hospitals, during the Olympics and the Paralympics. Healthcare and medical facilities may also be interrupted. 

Environmental and Climatic Concerns

The recently introduced surfing competitions will be held on the French Polynesian island of Tahiti, where organizers intend to erect a nine-ton aluminium tower for the judges. Locals and surfers harshly criticized it, claiming that it may have damaged the coral reef and that the wooden tower that is now in place could have been utilized instead. Early in 2023, a barge struck the reef and caused damage, leading to an interruption in the construction work. There have been numerous protests by surfers against the construction, and a local petition against it has received over 239,000 signatures.

Christophe Cassou, a climatologist at the French National Center for Scientific Research, said, “The Games will start at the time of the ‘climatological peak,’ on July 25. This is therefore the time of year when heat waves are most likely to be of the highest intensity over France.” Experts at Météo-France say that while it is impossible to predict whether the Paris Olympic Games will coincide with the heatwave, there is a potential threat of a major hot spell.

SITATA’s Role

Sitata is dedicated to protecting the health and safety of global travellers. Sitata monitors the world using artificial intelligence and a team of risk analysts for any type of potential threat or travel disruption. We will instantly notify you about anything that could disrupt your travel whether it is a flight delay, gate change, violence, transit strike, or any other type of threat. If you plan to travel to Paris or anywhere in France during the Summer Olympics 2024, download Sitata’s Travel Safety app. Our app provides you with real-time travel disruption, safety and health alerts, emergency numbers, telemedicine facilities and much more. Our assistance with travel insurance can help you ensure safety when in an emergency. The “Safety Sharing” features enable you to share your location with your loved ones and the regular safety check-in notifications provide an extra layer of safety and confidence.

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