Terror Attack Fallout: French Tourism Expected to Decline

France's robust tourism industry will absorb a short-term blow in the wake of Friday's terrorist attacks in Paris, but the long-range impact is expected to be minimal, travel experts say.

"In the short term, tourism in Paris is probably going to suffer," Lynn Minnaert, an assistant professor of tourism at the Tisch Center for Hospitality and Tourism at New York University said of the attacks, which killed 129 people and left hundreds more wounded. "People were very shook up by this."

Stocks of French travel companies like Accor Hotels and Air France fell on Monday, the first day of trading since the attacks.

Eiffel Tower closes again during manhunt for Paris terror mastermind 3:56

Entertainers and performers were also hitting pause on visiting the French capital, with Reuters reporting that artists including Prince, U2 and the Foo Fighters had canceled or postponed upcoming tour dates.

But there also were indications that France's tourism industry was finding its feet, as landmarks like the Eiffel Tower and Louvre Museum reopened.

Previous high-profile terrorist attacks in Europe indicate that travelers stay away from the target cities in the immediate aftermath.

After terrorists bombed Underground stations and a double-decker bus in London in 2005, for instance, the number of visitors to the British capital — which had been rising — turned negative for the third quarter, according to the country's Office for National Statistics.

"Events like this, whether it's terrorist-related or natural disaster events, tend to have impacts in those regions, but not more than in a few months," said Morningstar senior equity analyst Dan Wasiolek. "People tend to have short-term memories, and the desire to travel and experience remain high."

NYU's Minnaert said that Paris' popularity with visitors from France as well as elsewhere would help the city's recovery.

Source: NBC News