#ParisAttacks: Defiant tourists flock to city

The Eiffel Tower is illuminated in the colors of the French flag. Photo: File

The Eiffel Tower is illuminated in the colors of the French flag. Photo: File

Published Nov 17, 2015

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Paris - The Eiffel Tower - kept in darkness on Monday night as a symbol of mourning - has been closed until further notice.

Disneyland Paris, another major attraction, has also been shut.

Yet as Paris grieves for the victims of Friday's massacre, the travel industry is getting back to business as usual, thanks to most tourists showing solidarity and defiance in refusing to be deterred from visiting the UK's most popular overseas city.

Ted Wake, managing director of the leading city-break operator, Kirker, told The Independent: “No one has asked to come home early, and no future bookings have been cancelled.”

Two of their customers who were booked to travel to Paris on Saturday morning decided to postpone, but new bookings for the French capital were still coming in at the weekend.

Airlines and the train operator, Eurostar, offered passengers booked to travel at the weekend the chance to defer their trips without penalty.

But a spokesperson for easyJet, which is the second-largest airline in France, told The Independent: “Only a few people decided not to travel to and from Paris over the weekend.”

Forward sales did not appear to be affected, he said. “It is early to say but at the moment we don't see an impact on our bookings to and from Paris as a result of the terrorist attacks.”

Flights and trains were operating normally on Monday night, though passengers are being urged to check in earlier than usual because of tighter security that has been imposed.

The Independent

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