They expected an Olympic boon. But some Paris businesses are experiencing a bust

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. “It’s the same for everyone around here.” Carroll attributes the light crowds to multiple factors, but first and foremost the chilling effect from security measures that have had tourists encountering metal fences, police checkpoints and demands for a special QR code that they may have neglected to obtain — a digital pass required to access some popular areas before Friday's highly secured opening ceremony along the Seine River. “It seems they didn’t think much about how people were going to get across the river,” Mitchell said of Paris authorities. Ponti said that some planes arriving in Paris are not full after many airlines increased capacity for the Games and charged “really high fares.” Air France-KLM said it expects a 150 million to 170 million euro drop in revenue from the Games in the third quarter, while Delta foresees a $100 million hit from June to August. It said in a statement that the Paris Olympics is “one of the biggest hosting events in Airbnb history, with more guests staying in local homes on Airbnb than at any event, ever before.” Some business owners say they believe — or simply hope — that things will get better as the city becomes easier to navigate after Friday's opening ceremony.