Paris Tourism Almost Certain to Decline, says Security Expert

Friday’s attacks in Paris that left 129 dead, combined with the recent memory of the Charlie Hebdo attack in January, will likely be enough to keep some tourists away from the city for at least the immediate future, a political scientist at the Rand Corporation predicted.

“I think even with a destination as desirable as Paris, when you have a string of incidents like this, you’re definitely going to have people that are going to choose to spend their tourism dollars elsewhere, there’s no doubt about that — places where they think, perhaps, they’ll be a bit more secure,” said Colin Clarke, whose research focuses on insurgency and counterinsurgency, unconventional warfare and other security challenges.

Attacks like those in France are a deterrent for some potential visitors, who might be more inclined to travel to a country that has not made similar headlines recently, like Ireland or Spain, Clarke said.

“[A potential terrorist attack] is definitely something, I think, that enters people’s minds, particularly Americans,” he said. “I mean, we were hit so hard on 9/11, it’s got to be a factor when you’re planning a trip. And when you have a city like Paris that’s been victimized now with two really high-profile events in the same year, I don’t see how it doesn’t become a huge factor in determining where you’re going to go.”

Clarke also predicted this type of attack — in which terrorists mainly target concentrated areas of people, in this case, a concert venue and a soccer match — will become more common.

“It’s tactically effective for these groups. They get to kill large numbers of people,” he said.

In the immediate aftermath of the attacks, Paris will continue to see a visible presence of a well-armed French military, Clarke said, “if nothing other than to psychologically attempt to reassure people.”

He saw that in person on a recent trip to Paris in April, after the Charlie Hebdo attacks.

“The French military presence on the streets was definitely palpable,” he said.

Clarke also said there will be more going on in Paris that won’t be seen, like an increase in plainclothes law enforcement officers and increased security on major transportation like the Metro.

“Even with all that said, and I’ve spoken to a lot of my colleagues about this, the French security services are known to be among the most elite in the world,” Clarke said. “There’s only so much you can do in a democracy if you’re going to live the way that Westerners want to live.”

Credit: Travel Weekly