Tag: tourism

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Olympic Shopping

After the Paris 2024 Olympic Games have closed officially it is high time, not only for the international tourists, to do some shopping of souvenirs from Paris. Some of the flagship stores like Le Printemps Haussmann renovated a 100 years old splendid staircase (image below) for this centennial occasion of Olympics in Paris. You may test your performance there and check which grades you will receive from passers by. The first numbers of the increase in tourists in Paris show significant increases from across the world including many countries from which previously few tourists arrived. Many will want to return to the marvelous sports sites and the great shopping experiences Paris has to offer.

The Galerie Lafayette, which recently closed a shop in Berlin, is a major attraction for international tourists. It offers unique instagramable images to visitors on the platform outlook into the world of luxury. Very difficult to not be seduced after so many exciting Olympic contests.

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Olympic Celebrating

Paris 2024 gives lots of reasons to celebrate athletes and teams. France has already achieved a large number of medals and shops in Paris start to decorate their windows with their emotional expressions of various forms. Merchandising seems to work well and some shops add a personal touch to special heroes. Walking the marvelous streets of Paris from one monument to the next is a pleasure as the streets are surprisingly empty and many are closed for cars and lorries. Hence, walking in Paris is a rather healthy exercise at this special moment in time. It is a great way to welcome all nations to Paris and allow a rather stressless visit of the city and its tourist attractions. Riding bicycles and buses becomes a pleasure too as roads are rather empty and circulating around the city is much easier than at any time before and probably after as well. Thanks for the great experience and the welcoming atmosphere.

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Olympic Flame

The Olympic Games 2024 have started to attract attention long before the actual games. The arrival of the flame on the many stops on the way to Paris is each time an event of its own. The choice of persons who carry the flame and the parcour are carefully chosen and sponsors contribute to finance the ceremonies. With the tradition of the “Tour de France” which started in 1905 in Montgeron, the city in the vicinity of Paris knows how to organize popular events. Like for a marathon large crowds are waiting and watching along the track. Police and life guards watch over participants and spectators. Many volunteers participate to make the event an enjoyable experience for all. The sports competitions of the very specialized athletes make much more sense if many people are encouraged to exercise as well. It is fun and the spirit of the Olympic Games should encourage more people to stay fit. Just a little bit at times helps to improve your health. Daily exercise is a challenge but even more beneficial. The idea of a relay is also stimulating continuity.

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Himalaya

In May 2023 we commemorate the 70th anniversary of the first claiming of the Mount Everest in the Himalaya region of Nepal. Since then, the tourism to reach the highest mountain and have your photo taken there, has become a kind of over-tourism. Spectacular memories and images lead to persons taking unprecedented risks for a bit of fame. 30 persons have died on such expeditions. It is a bit more exclusive than running a marathon of 42,125 km, but even there occasional deaths are part of the race.
Nepal needs the foreign currency to build and rebuild the country. After resources have created the wealth of nations, it is tourist attractions that favour accumulation of wealth. Beware of over-exploiting nature in this respect. The consequences and costs are non-negligable. Climate change does not stop in front of tourist attractions. Some routes in mountains are already more dangerous due to melting of what we named wrongly permanently frozen areas (permafrost). Using virtual reality should allow us rapidly to experience the splendour of the highland Himalaya peaks and climbing. In the meantime enjoy some momo (Himalaya dish) rather than making preparations or training for the next top mountain. It is the images of the area that count, not us in front of the mountains or seemingly endless space. Images and photos taken can help us over the urge to visit this spectacular area ourselves. The planet will need us being satisfied this way, just like watching photos or movies rather than demanding to live in a splendid surrounding or building (castle). My home is my castle and my imagination is my travel book.