April 17 marks 100 days until the 2024 Olympics get under way with the planned opening ceremony on the River Seine in the middle of the French capital. Excitement is growing - but so too is discontent among some Parisians.
The city and its venues are being readied, but some restaurants, bars and nightclubs are still unsure about the conditions under which they will be able to operate during Olympic events.
Tourists stand on the Sacre-Coeur Basilica stairs painted with the Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games design. /Sarah Meyssonnier/Reuters
The River Seine will be one of the stars of this summer's Olympic Games. However, the quality of the water is low and bacteria levels are high.
The long-distance swimming, and aquatic legs of the triathlon and para-triathlon, are set to take place in the Seine and there is no certainty that those events will be able to go ahead. The river is a working waterway and tourist boats and cargo ships will be forced to alter their schedules.
"There will be an impact as it's high season, the peak season for tourists," Olivier Jamey, president of the Port Community of Paris, told CGTN Europe.
"It's also when we transport the biggest quantities of goods on the river, like cereals during the harvest period, so it's the peak season for all economic activity on the river. We are going to have to stop those operations to allow the Games to take place."
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The Seine river is due to host various Olympic events but poor water quality puts them at risk. /Gonzalo Fuentes/Reuters/File
Criticism
Also along the river are the city's famed bouquinistes, the distinctive booksellers with green kiosks. They have been running for more than 150 years, but they were ordered to move away from the city center for the opening ceremony. They argued the uprooting would lead to a loss of revenue, and be a disappointment for tourists.
The president himself stepped in and the booksellers had a reprieve. But the confusion was seen as symptomatic of the issues around security and access on the river. And after criticism that event prices were beyond most budgets, a million free tickets are to be handed out to young people, amateur athletes and people with disabilities.
Businesses in Paris are hoping for an uptick in customers but also anticipating problems over police security.
"As soon as we start being blocked by barriers and having to show our pass, that could become frustrating," said Jessica Grandjean, a restaurant owner.
"We as Parisians don't want that, and I'm not sure how the tourists will take it, having to show their passes at every corner. They will get fed up."
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