PARIS — It’s hard to imagine anything that would keep
tourists away from the iconic landmarks of Paris for long. But after gunmen
stormed the offices of the city’s satirical newspaper Charlie Hebdo and killed
12 people here in January, I wondered if such an act of terrorism might dent the allure of the City of Lights.
But judging by the crowds at the Eiffel Tower in late March,
which is still considered to be the tail end of the low season here, travelers
appeared not to have been deterred.
Which isn’t to say that the Hebdo incident is a thing of the
past, either. All over Paris, armed security guards could be seen patrolling
densely populated areas such as the Marais and Montparnasse neighborhoods, the
Eiffel Tower and Centre Pompidou, usually in packs of three, dressed in
camouflage gear and toting pretty serious-looking guns. Their presence is a new
development since the Charlie Hebdo attacks.
And at shopping centers and museums throughout the city,
patrons were asked to open their bags and purses for a quick glance inside
by security personnel, also a recent development, all of which served as a
constant reminder that Paris is a bit on watch these days.
The Eiffel Tower drew healthy crowds in late March. Photo Credit: Michelle Baran
The deadly attack was carried out by two brothers who
identified with a branch of al-Qaida in Yemen, and it brought to light many of
the tensions in France between its Muslim and non-Muslim populations. When I
asked locals what the mood has been in Paris in the aftermath of the attacks,
they explained that immediately following the shootings, the situation was
fragile to be sure. There were concerns about copycat incidents or about an
increase in tensions.
Some feel the attacks have given a small boost to the
conservative movement in France. But generally speaking, any temporary unease
that arose in the immediate wake of the attacks has subsided.
Of course, it wouldn’t be France without a large amount of
debate over the incident, what spurred it and how to prevent future attacks.
When during a city tour of Paris we passed by the offices where the shootings
took place, our guide pointed out the location, noting the flowers that had
been left there to honor the dead, and gave some quick insight into her
thoughts on the current situation in Paris, concluding that relations between
Muslim and non-Muslim communities in Paris will only get better in time, not
worse.
But all told, Paris doesn’t feel very different and
certainly doesn’t feel any less grand. Paris is and always will be an
undeniably beautiful and impressive travel destination.
As an American in Paris, it also didn’t hurt that the euro
was trading at about 1.06 to the dollar during my time there. When the dollar
had traded less favorably in the past, I often had abstained from even entering
stores when traveling in Europe. Why bother, I felt, if it was all going to
cost me 30% or more than the listed price? Why even tempt myself?
But with the dollar’s current strength, I had no problem
opening up my purse for security checks at the shopping centers and then
ultimately opening it up for cashiers, as well. I can’t remember the last time
I did a fair amount of shopping in Europe, other than a few trinkets to bring
home as gifts.
Toward the end of my journey, my luggage had a
few extra items. It had me wondering how many others were feeling
like freshly empowered Americans in Paris, like myself, and whether retailers
are feeling an American consumer bump in kind.