Visa, the Official Payment Technology Partner of the Olympic and Paralympic Games, is releasing new data showing initial spending patterns during the opening weekend of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.

The world leader in digital payments has identified the positive impact that Paris 2024 has in increasing trade in Paris:

• Small businesses in Paris saw a 6% year-over-year increase in sales to Visa cardholders during the first weekend of the Olympic Games
• The most significant increase in purchases in Paris is seen in theaters and museums +159%, food and groceries +42%, restaurants +36%, retail goods +21%, entertainment +18%
• The largest share of foreign purchases comes from US Visa cardholders (29 %), with significant year-on-year increases in Brazilian (+33 %) and Japanese (+129 %) visitors
• 78% of international purchases in Paris were contactless, an increase of 9% compared to the previous year
• 39 % increase in flight bookings to Paris ahead of the games compared to the same period in 2023
• Data also shows a sharp increase in the number of travelers to Paris, especially among young people under 35 (+120%)
• Travelers to Paris from the United States increased the most compared to the previous year (+64 %), followed by Germany (+61 %) and Spain (+27 %).
• Purchases have also increased significantly in cities hosting Olympic events outside of Paris, including Saint-Etienne (+214 %), Lille (+100 %) and Marseille (+38 %)

“As a sponsor of the Olympic Movement for almost 40 years and the Paralympic Games since 2002, we know the impact the Games can have in strengthening the host country’s economy. Our latest data shows a significant increase in purchases among VISA cardholders during the opening weekend. We are particularly pleased to see the increase in purchases by French small businesses, also after helping 13 million of them go digital over the past four years. The increased engagement among younger generations, as seen in the travel data, is also exciting and demonstrates the reach and relevance of the Games today and into the future,” said Charlotte Hogg, Chief Executive Officer, Visa Europe.

Visa’s responsibility to provide payment systems for the Olympic and Paralympic Games requires a robust and site-specific plan combined with large-scale operations. Visa has worked hand-in-hand with the Organizing Committee for the past three years, building a customized payment network across Paris and beyond, ensuring that VISA contactless payments are accepted at 3,500 points of sale across 32 Olympic venues and 16 Paralympic venues.

According to the press release.