In the summer of 2024, the European continent will be flooded with tourists from all over the world, eager to watch the many sporting events taking place throughout the season.
Both Germany and France have been gearing up for increased tourism over the past few years after the COVID-19 pandemic restricted fan interaction this year at the postponed 2020 Summer Olympics in Japan and the 2020 UEFA European Championship, which will be held across the region in the summer of 2021.
Since it was announced that Germany would host the 2024 UEFA European Championship, airports and train stations across the country have been preparing for the event by refurbishing facilities, modernizing transport networks and streamlining the travel experience.
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How has the country responded to the increased demand since the tournament began?
With years of preparation and foresight leading up to this event, domestic air travel was expected to increase exponentially, and that’s exactly what happened.
The joint operation between the country’s largest airports has resulted in the introduction of a 24/7 operations control centre to precisely coordinate air traffic to accommodate the growing number of flights into the country.
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Gelsenkirchen is the only host city without an airport and relies on a number of airports and rail networks to transport fans in and out of the city. The airports that are members of this joint operating centre are:
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)
Photo: AeroXplorer | Viator
In a joint effort with many airports, national rail schedules have extended domestic train operating hours, particularly on routes to stadium areas.
The increase in tourists is expected to have a major impact on economic growth in the country, particularly in the Rhine-Ruhr region in the west, where around 50 percent of all tournament matches will be held.
Similarly, the city of Paris and local authorities have repeatedly stated that “Paris is ready” for the upcoming Summer Olympics.
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The slogan is intended to demonstrate the city’s preparedness for the millions of fans expected to descend on the city, and also notes that the airport is expecting a 30 percent increase in tourists this summer compared to last year.
Paris-Charles de Gaulle (CDG), Paris-Orly (ORY) and Paris-Beauvais (BVA) are each expected to increase their flight slots, with the latter airport explicitly considering an increase in budget airlines.
Photo: AeroXplorer | GetByBus
All of Paris’ airports are outside the city, but train hours and shuttle services are being expanded to transport fans to and from the city, and with the Summer Olympics requiring multiple venues, airports such as Marseille, Nice and Lyon are preparing for event-specific tourism.
Interestingly, surfing events will also be held in Tahiti, French Polynesia, and Faaa International Airport (PPT) is also gearing up for Olympic tourism.
