France’s Heritage Sites Have Rebounded Post-Pandemic

Four years ago, the effects of the pandemic were felt throughout the tourism industry. Airlines cancelled flights, historic sites temporarily shuttered and frequent travelers had to find very different ways to occupy their time. In the years since then, the overall narrative has been one of rebounding — even if, in some cases, plans made before the pandemic need to be rethought.

Some in-demand destinations have experienced a full return to the pre-pandemic status quo. In certain instances, you might even call it a renaissance — for instance, in the country where the word originated. France’s Ministry of Culture recently released Patrimostat 2024, which provides information on visits to historic sites throughout the country. And as Karen K. Ho at ARTnews reports, the news there is good — the total number of visitors to the country’s heritage sites in 2023 regained their levels before the pandemic.

French heritage sites has 44.8 million visitors last year, with a few spaces — such as the Musée d’Orsay and the Musée de l’Orangerie — experiencing significant year-over-year growth from 2022 to 2023. Attendance at others fell during the same period, including the Louvre — though in that case, the decline in attendance was less due to visitors seeking to go elsewhere and more that strikes prevented would-be museumgoers from entering.

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Ho also points out that another big event could similarly alter the numbers from 2024 — namely, the effects of the Paris Olympics on tourism elsewhere in the country. Last month, The Art Newspaper cited a 45% drop in Louvre attendance over an 11-day period in July relative to the same time in 2023. All of which is to say that it might not be until this time in 2026 that we can get a full sense of how much France’s tourism sector has recovered.