Paris last hosted the Olympic Games 100 years ago and the 2024 event promises to be an Olympic experience like no other.
The Paris 2024 Olympics aims to be a landmark event in terms of sustainability. Aligning with the International Olympic Committee’s (IOC) New Norm, Paris has committed to delivering the most eco-friendly Games in history. The IOC’s New Norm is an ambitious set of 118 reforms reimagining how the Olympics is delivered. It provides cities with increased flexibility in designing the Games to meet long-term development goals.
The IOC has also confirmed that Paris 2024 will also be the first Olympics in history to achieve numerical gender parity. 5 250 men and 5 250 women are set to compete from July 26-August 11.
Opening ceremony
According to the official Paris Olympics website, for the first time in the history of the Summer Olympic Games, the opening ceremony will not take place in a stadium.
The traditional athlete parade, kicking off the 16 days of competition, will cruise down the Seine. Each nation's delegation will be aboard a boat equipped with cameras so that TV and online audiences will be able to see the athletes up close. This six-kilometre journey will showcase the heart of Paris to the world.
The parade culminates at the Trocadéro, where the remaining Olympic ceremony elements and celebratory shows will take place. The City of Light will be holding the ceremony for a very large audience, with no admission fee for most of the spectators. “Hundreds of thousands of spectators will be able to attend the festivities along the banks of the Seine. Eighty giant screens and strategically placed speakers will allow everyone to enjoy the magical atmosphere of this show,” says the IOC.
Eco-friendly travel to the games
With information available on the official Games website, spectators will be able to experience events on foot or by public transport, as 80% of competition venues are located within a 10km radius of the Olympic and Paralympic Village.
Spectators at these Olympics can also enjoy a sustainable journey to their chosen venues. The Greater Paris Region's Île-de-France Mobilités oversees a robust public transportation network, offering easy access via buses, metro lines, RER lines (regional express network) and trams. This eco-friendly approach ensures minimal environmental impact while offering convenient travel options for spectators.
Delivering 13 million meals
‘Food Vision’, established for the upcoming Olympics, intends to use the Games to highlight how creative and sustainable food can be produced at a major international event.
Local farmers and their produce, chefs, artisans, restaurant owners, caterers, nutritionists have all been roped in to showcase the best and most sustainable cuisine that France has to offer.
Tickets for the 2024 Paris Olympics are currently on sale via the official website (tickets.paris2024.org). They are sold on a first-come, first-served basis, with ticket availability shown in real time.
Illana Pereira, COO of Tourvest Destination Management, Sport & Events, told Travel News that both individual travellers and corporate companies in South Africa had purchased travel packages and hospitality tickets for the Games.
Said Pereira: “The uptake has been very good and is still coming through as we speak. Our ticket prices have not changed, however the closer we get to July 2024, the higher the hotel and flight costs will be. Pure-Travel is the exclusive Official Sub-Distributor for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games and, as such, is the only source for guaranteed hospitality tickets.”
An Air France spokesperson said that as a partner of the Games, Air France was increasing its summer network capacity by 9% worldwide.
“Air France is responding to sustained demand by pushing forward with the expansion of our global network. We will continue to roll out updated products on our A350s and Boeing 777-300ERs. This summer will likely be the busiest in Air France’s history as Paris hosts the 2024 Summer Olympic Games,” he said.
