Paris to ban tourist buses from city centre

Hop-on and hop-off bus tours are one of the most efficient ways to check off the major landmarks in a city, especially for travellers visiting on a time-poor itinerary. Nevertheless, in the world’s most visited country, these types of tours look set to become a thing of the past as Paris seeks to ban tour buses from the city centre.

Welcoming around 50 thousand tourists per year, the French capital is home to some of Europe’s most renowned landmarks including the Eiffel Tower, the Louvre, the Arc de Triomphe and the Pantheon.

Every day, dozens of tourist buses hurtle across the city ferrying picture-taking travellers around town.

But as visitor numbers continue to increase, the French capital is feeling the weight of overtourism. In an interview with French newspaper Le Parisien, Paris’s Deputy Mayor Emmanuel Gregoire has revealed that new protocols are being devised to help reduce this.

 

Gregoire said that tourist buses will be banned from the city centre and are part of regulations being considered to help reduce congestion in the capital.

A new law on mobility will give local authorities across the country more powers to regulate local traffic as well as offering new transport options such as rented bicycles or electric scooters.

Visitors are being encouraged to walk, cycle or take public transport instead. "Tourists can do like everyone else does and switch to environmentally friendly mobility options or take public transport," said Gregoire.

Tour companies and travel operators are being prompted to offer tourists alternative sightseeing methods, such as walking tours or guided cycling trips instead of bus tours.