Tourist numbers in Paris drop following terror attacks

A tourist takes photographs, right, as French police patrol under the Eiffel Tower in Paris, Saturday, Jan. 17, 2015. Since last week’s terrorist attacks that killed 17 people in Paris, the swarms of sightseers have thinned below Paris’ most visited monument, the Eiffel Tower. Among the tourists that were still braving visits, many took comfort in the extra security presence. With 10,500 troops deployed across the country, including 6,000 in the Paris region alone, the security operation put in motion after the attacks is the most extensive on French soil in recent history. (AP Photo/Jacques Brinon) A tourist takes photographs, right, as French police patrol under the Eiffel Tower in Paris, Saturday, Jan. 17, 2015. Since last week’s terrorist attacks that killed 17 people in Paris, the swarms of sightseers have thinned below Paris’ most visited monument, the Eiffel Tower. Among the tourists that were still braving visits, many took comfort in the extra security presence. With 10,500 troops deployed across the country, including 6,000 in the Paris region alone, the security operation put in motion after the attacks is the most extensive on French soil in recent history. (AP Photo/Jacques Brinon)

By Associated Press January 18, 2015 4 min read

PARIS (AP) – Gray skies over a half-empty Eiffel Tower.

Since last week’s terrorist attacks that left 17 victims and three gunmen dead, the swarms of sightseers have thinned below Paris’ most visited monument, baring the dull concrete of the giant plaza.

Just over a week after the attacks, only a handful of tourists were taking photos, and one or two having portraits sketched by resident artists. The long lines that normally snake around the Eiffel Tower’s gargantuan pillars were a fraction of the length.

“It’s been so calm since the attacks. There’s hardly anyone at all,” sandwich seller Kamel Bougrab said across the street.

Tourism officials couldn’t give figures of the number of sightseers in the immediate aftermath of the attacks, but visits by The Associated Press to major sites and interviews with vendors indicated an initial drop in visitors.