Study Evaluates Disneyland Paris’ Economic Impact

Mickey Mouse has made himself at home in France.

Since opening its gates in 1992, the Disneyland Paris theme park east of the French capital has become a vital economic driver of its region, accounting for 56,000 jobs directly and indirectly last year in France, according to a study released Wednesday.

The park, which attracted 15.6 million visitors last year, “is the number one tourist destination in Europe,” said Daniel Canepa, the head of a French government organization that monitors Disneyland Paris and which commissioned the study.

Disneyland Paris was created thought an agreement between the French government and the Walt Disney Company, and the government and local authorities conduct periodic evaluations of the park and its various satellite operations, such as the Walt Disney Studios Park and the Disney Village retail and entertainment complex. The last such study was in 2005.

The resort’s total economic contribution last year was euro6.5 billion ($9.5 billion), representing an increase of almost 40 percent from the last study.

Higher park attendance and more stays in the resort’s 7,000 hotel rooms helped drive the increase, as well as the 10 percent increase in employment at the park, the report found.

Foreign visitors made up 3.6 million of Disneyland Paris’ total attendance last year. The report estimated that once these guests’ expenses outside the park are included, foreign visitors contribution to France’s tourism revenue was euro2.43 billion last year.

Associated Press