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France riots: tourism sector faces cancellations as protests over police killing of teenager Nahel persist
- Many hotels and restaurants have suffered cancellations since the death of the 17-year-old sparked days of violent unrest across the country
- An industry body said Asian tourists, who are ‘very concerned about security, may not hesitate to postpone or cancel their trip’
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Days of violent protests across France after the fatal police shooting of a teenager have started to impact the country’s tourism sector, with hotels and restaurants facing cancellations while some have also suffered damage in the unrest.
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Since the death of 17-year-old Nahel during a traffic stop in a Paris suburb on Tuesday, “our hotel members have suffered a wave of cancellations of reservations in all the territories affected by the damage and clashes,” said chef Thierry Marx, president of the main association for hotel and catering industry employers.
Marx said on Friday he was receiving daily alerts from industry professionals who have suffered “attacks, looting and destruction of their businesses, including some restaurants and cafes”.
“Our establishments are intrinsically hospitality venues, and sometimes even refuges and places of help in crisis situations. They must not suffer the consequences of anger that they have not aroused and we condemn these actions,” he added.
Marx wants the authorities to do “everything” to guarantee the safety of people in the hotel and catering industry in the world’s most popular tourist destination.
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