Occupancy at Nice hotels drops 30pc

Hotels and retailers on France’s Mediterranean coast have suffered in the days since the terrorist attack that killed 84 people in Nice on July 14, Economy Minister Emmanuel Macron said.

Hotel reservations in the region have dropped between 20 and 30 percent, while retailers have seen a drop in sales, Macron said at a press conference in Paris.

“These are early estimates for a very short period and we now need to step back and see what happens,” Macron said. “Major tourist sites around France, including the Paris region, may also be affected and we’re keeping a close eye on that,” Bloomberg reported.

The government has funds available to offer short term support to businesses, he said after meeting with elected officials from the Provence-Alps-Cote-d’Azur region.