Paris calm as Americans stay away

Silence outside Notre Dame for the victims of the terror attacks

By Jenna Milly, CNN

PARIS, France (CNN) -- The illustrious capital of the world's top tourist destination exudes a quiet calm while it waits for visitors to return following the terrorist attacks on the United States.

The events half a world away had repercussions here. For the first time in history, planes flying in and out of the United States were grounded. Normal air travel did not resume for days, causing many tourist and business travelers to delay or cancel trips.

Paris, like many other European cities, felt the brunt of unexpected empty skies.

Jose Delaunay, a waiter at the popular Notre Dame Cafe, which faces the cathedral, said business had fallen "more than 60 percent" since the attacks.

"The last time I saw this kind of drop was during the (1991) Gulf War," he added.

"The people who were here left, and the people who should have come never came," he said looking at the bare Latin Quarter streets, normally brimming with visitors enjoying the temperate September air -- a grand finale to the booming summer tourist season. "It's like a calm at sea."

The calm is citywide. The Paris Convention and Visitors Bureau estimated 70 percent of American tourists destined for the capital city canceled hotel reservations for two weeks following the attack.

The bureau also estimated international tourism fell 15 percent.

The drop is significant. Americans spent $60 billion on international tourism in 1999, the last year for which figures are available.

They are ranked the biggest spenders on tourism by the World Tourist Organization, which since the attacks has reduced by a third its forecast for this year's growth in the industry.

Eiffel Tower: Bookings are down

France has an estimated population of 60 million, and in 1999 the country welcomed 73 million tourists.

But now many Americans, stereotyped by white tennis shoes and flashing digital cameras, are staying away.

A spokesperson for the Eiffel Tower, the city's signature landmark, said ticket sales dropped 10 percent after the attacks.

The Louvre, which houses Leonardo da Vinci's "Mona Lisa," Michelangelo's "Slaves" and the jewels of Ramses II, noted a 25 percent drop in admission sales.

Louvre officials also tightened security after the attacks, closing an entrance.

A long line of visitors wrapped around the glass pyramid in the courtyard of the converted royal residence-turned-museum. Waiting patiently for what was estimated to be an hour was American tourist Donald Hayden.

Flying out of San Francisco, California, after the attack was no easy task, said Hayden, who talked to many different airlines before finally securing a flight to London. He arrived in Europe with his wife, their son and daughter-in-law on September 15 -- one day later than expected -- for their three-week trip.

"We didn't consider canceling," Hayden said. "Our friends and family were afraid for us to go, but we came anyway.

"We're glad to be here," he said. "We share the misery and deplore what has happened. We didn't want to miss this because of fear."