Is Europe Prepared For Increased Sports Tourism in 2024?

In the Summer of 2024, the European continent will be flooded with tourists worldwide to attend the many sporting events hosted throughout the season. 

After the COVID-19 pandemic limited fan interaction at the delayed 2020 Summer Olympic Games in Japan and the 2020 UEFA European Championships held across the region in the Summer of 2021, this year, both Germany and France have been preparing for increased tourism for the last few years. 

Since it was announced that Germany would host the 2024 UEFA European Championship, airports and train stations nationwide have been preparing for the event by renovating facilities, modernizing transit networks, and simplifying the travel experience. 

How has the country responded to the increased demand since the tournament is underway?

Given the many years of preparation and foresight for the event, air travel in the country was expected to rise exponentially, and it has rightfully so. 

A 24/7 operations control centre has been implemented to help coordinate air traffic precisely for increased flights into the country across a joint operation between the nation's largest airports. 

Gelsenkirchen is the only hosting city without an airport, and it utilizes the many airports and train networks to move fans in and out of the town. The airports aligned in this joint operations centre include:

·       Berlin Brandenburg Airport (BER)

·       Cologne-Bonn Airport (CGN0

·       Dortmund Airport (DTM)

·       Dusseldorf Airport (DUS)

·       Frankfurt Am Main Airport (FRA)

·       Munster Osnabruck International Airport (FMO)

·       Hamburg Airport (HAM)

·       Leipzig Airport (LEJ)

·       Munich Airport (MUC)

·       Stuttgart Airport (STR)

In a joint effort with the many airports, train schedules around the country have extended hours for domestic trains, specifically on routes to and from stadium areas.

This increased tourism is expected to impact significantly economic growth in the country, specifically in the Rhein-Ruhr Region in the West, which hosts roughly 50% of all games in the tournament.

Similarly, Paris and local officials keep mentioning "Paris is Ready" for the upcoming Summer Olympic Games. 

The catchphrase, meant to show the city's preparedness for the expected millions of fans coming into the city, also refers to the airports expecting a 30% increase in tourism this Summer compared to last. 

Each of Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport (CDG), Paris-Orly Airport (ORY), and Paris-Beauvais Airport (BVA) is expected to increase flight slots, with the latter airports explicitly looking to increase low-budget air carriers. 

Although all Parisian airports are located outside the city limits, train hours and shuttle services have been expanded to move fans to and from the city. Additionally, as the Summer Olympics require multiple venues, airports in Marseille, Nice, and Lyon, amongst others, are preparing for event-specific tourism. 

In a fun twist, the surfing event will also be hosted in Tahiti, French Polynesia. The Faa'a International Airport (PPT) is also preparing for Olympic tourism.