(MENAFN) In a noteworthy rebound, the iconic Eiffel Tower, Paris's foremost tourist attraction, experienced a surge in visitors, welcoming 6.3 million people in 2023. This marked a notable achievement as the visitor numbers surpassed those recorded in 2019 before the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic, according to the announcement made by the company managing the site on Friday.

The past year witnessed an 8 percent increase in attendance compared to 2022, a period characterized by a series of tributes commemorating the centenary of Gustave Eiffel's death. Additionally, the introduction of new services, such as guided tours and restaurants helmed by acclaimed chefs like Frédéric Anton and Thierry Marx, contributed to the heightened appeal of the Eiffel Tower as a tourist destination, as confirmed by the company in a statement.

The Eiffel Tower, which boasted seven million visitors in 2014 and 6.2 million in 2019, faced closures from mid-March to the end of June 2020 and again from the end of October 2020 to mid-July 2021 due to pandemic-related restrictions. Despite these challenges, the landmark managed to reopen for five and a half months in 2021, drawing 2.1 million visitors that year.

French visitors remained the most prominent, comprising 18.9 percent of the total, followed closely by tourists from North America at 18 percent, with the United States contributing significantly at a rate of 13.2 percent. The resurgence in visitor numbers reflects a positive trajectory for one of the world's most iconic landmarks, signaling a recovery for Paris's tourism sector after the disruptions caused by the global pandemic.

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