Encouraging start to tourist season

Easter sees record numbers for tennis and Oceanographic Museum.

In spite of the weather, rail strike, closure of the airports, and the absence of Federer, 124,000 fans made their way to the Monte Carlo Country Club to watch the ATP tournament. It was good news for the organizers, who celebrated Nadal's 6th consecutive win, as well as spectator numbers that equaled the record figures of 2009. An even larger audience was drawn in by 300 journalists, 56 of whom broadcast radio and television reports to 50 countries.

Monte Carlo Masters : record attendance equaled [1]

Tennis : 124,000 spectators at the Monte Carlo Country Club [2]

In the run-up to the competition, Monaco's hotels were expecting occupation rates of around 95%, making up for a lackluster 2009. Last year was difficult for Monaco's tourist industry, which had seen uninterrupted growth over the previous 5 years. However as the economic crisis took hold, there was a 4% global decrease in international tourist arrivals [3], equating to a 11% drop in turnover for Monaco's 2600 rooms. Head of the DTC, Michel Bouquier attributes the good start to 2010 to Monaco's diverse offerings that have attracted visitors during a generally difficult climate.

The Open reinvigorates the hotels [4]

Easter weekend saw another record for the Oceanographic Museum. After closing for a few days to prepare for its centenary celebrations, the Museum reopened on 2nd April with the much anticipated Damien Hirst exhibition. A record 15,000 visitors stepped through the doors in just 4 days, an increase of 50% in relation to the 3 previous years.

Monaco's Oceanographic Museum Centenary creates an event [5]