Analysis: Paris Olympics travel, summer destinations

Report Highlights:

• The primary bookers of properties is Paris, France throughout the Olympic games are based out of France, the UK, Germany, the Netherlands and Switzerland
• The majority of non-Europe based travelers are coming from the US, Australia, Brazil, Canada, Mexico, and China
• Australian travelers booked over four times as many rooms compared to U.S. travelers per capita over the period of the games, based on 2023 population estimates, despite Australia having nearly two hundred fewer athletes competing
• Hotels in Paris, France are seeing a 50% average increase in occupancies from July 26 through August 11 in 2024, compared to the same dates in 2023
• Altogether, the most popular travel destinations for US-based travelers include the UK, the Netherlands, France, Germany and Spain
• Taylor Swift’s “Eras,” world tour is bringing in additional attention to Europe, with average occupancy increase of around 20% compared to 2023 dates over the course of Taylor Swift’s show dates in Amsterdam (July 4-July 6, 2024), Milan (July 13, 2024) and London (August 15-August 20, 2024)

Summer is heating up (or cooling down, depending on where you’re reading from) and with this time of the year comes one of the busiest times to travel. Looking at these trends can help us make sense of our behaviors, the influences of travel decision-making, and predict years to come.

In this first edition of FLYR’s quarterly State of Hospitality Report, we dive into the biggest trends we’re seeing across our hospitality data, illustrating how travelers all over the world are planning their stays. Supporting hotels, motels, and hostels across 50 countries, we’ve reviewed anonymized booking data from June to August 2024 and June to August 2023 to identify how some of the biggest travel trends for the year are shaking out.

This summer, travelers from the United States have their sights set on Europe, Asia and Oceania, with particular interest in the UK, France and the Netherlands. These trends don’t represent a major departure from U.S. travelers’ habits in 2023, which were dominated by European travel as well.

Looking at thousands of hotels around the world, in 2024, Americans are planning their excursions in the UK, the Netherlands, France, Germany and Spain (looking at the months of June-August). 2023’s trend list was closely comparable, indicating that Europe is still a prime location for Americans looking for a change of scenery to explore.

Countries Compete

As many of us will be tuning into the 2024 Olympics from our homes, some superfans have mapped out their summer travels to watch their favorite athletes compete in person in Paris, France.

Hotels located in Paris, France are seeing a 50% average increase in occupancies from July 26 through August 11 in 2024, compared to the same dates in 2023, and a very high expectancy to sell out over this period.

Of course, many French locals and folks from neighboring countries, including the UK, Germany, the Netherlands and Switzerland, are booking up spots in Paris to be closer to the action.

Zooming out, fans from the United States and Australia are flocking across oceans in droves to see their team compete. Interestingly, while both Australia has nearly 200 fewer athletes competing in the games this year, Australian travelers booked over four times as many rooms compared to U.S. travelers per capita, based on 2023 population estimates. Other top visitors are from Brazil, Canada, Mexico, and China.

Continue to read FLYR’s Q2 2024 State of Hospitality Report

About FLYR

FLYR is a technology company that is purpose-built for the travel industry. Leveraging deep learning, an advanced form of AI, FLYR is helping airlines, cargo, and hospitality businesses around the globe elevate their results. With FLYR, businesses are able to improve revenue performance and modernize the e-commerce experience through accurate forecasting, automation, and analytics. Learn more at flyr.com. For more information visit flyr.com/hospitality.