The construction noise from the stands facing the Eiffel Tower does not spoil the enjoyment of tourists, who are basking in the sun at the end of this March. “The city is beautiful,” smiles Diana, who came from the United States with her husband. The two tourists, cycling around, had no problem getting around the city and feel perfectly safe since their arrival in the capital a few days ago. “Public transport is very efficient,” they assure. “I don’t think there will be any problems in that regard for the Olympics.” The same sentiment is shared by a couple of tourists from Manchester. Their opinion on Paris, a few months before the Olympics: “Clean and safe.”
With over 50,000 daily visitors, the Champ-de-Mars is one of the 42 areas labeled for the Olympics that are receiving special attention from law enforcement under the Zero Delinquency plan, launched in November 2022. Last year, the police chief, Laurent Nuñez, pledged to rid the site of street vendors, shell game players, and scammers with fake petitions who take advantage of some tourists’ gullibility.
