PHOTO: People were flooding the streets of Paris last night as a show of solidarity against the attacks. (via Twitter)
One day after a brutal terrorist attack at the offices of French satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo left 12 people dead, Paris and its surrounding locales remain under intense security as officials continue the search for two of the suspected gunmen.
Despite the tragedy and ongoing manhunt, there don't appear to be any long-term negative effects to tourism in the city.
"Everything in Paris is reopened although there is much more security that is apparent," said Anne-Laure Tuncer, Director USA, Atout France.
"I see no long lasting impact to Parisian tourism because travelers know that these things are happening everywhere. Of course things can change because this story isn't complete, but I don't forcast any long-lasting impact of travel to France," she added.
Tuncer isn't alone in her positive outlook.
"We currently have a number of passengers traveling to Paris within the next several weeks and are happy to report that as of this morning, our EuropeToo brand reports there have been no cancellations but had a number of inquiries for the spring which leads me to believe that travelers will not be easily intimated," said IsramWorld president Richard Krieger in a statement.
[BLURB]"(We have) had a number of inquiries for the spring which leads me to believe that travelers will not be easily intimated." - Richard Krieger, president, IsramWorld [/BLURB]
"While no one can say what the near future will bring, I can say with confidence that the American traveler has long had a love affair with Paris and France and stand side by side with the people of France in their time of tragedy," Krieger added.
Tauck spokesman Tom Armstrong echoed the sentiment, saying the tour company has seen no immediate impact in bookings.
"We're certainly monitoring developments there. We haven't received any calls from guests regarding the attack, and we're anticipating operating all future departures as planned, Armstrong said, adding that the company does not have any Paris groups scheduled until April. "We'll continue to monitor any further developments in Paris, just as we monitor events in all 70+ countries where we operate.
With French Prime Minister Manuel Valls raising the country's security alert to the highest level of "attack alert" following Wednesday's shootings, security was heightened across the city, including at popular tourist attractions like the Eiffel Tower and Place de la Bastille.
In addition to sensitive sites and popular public places, railway stations throughout Paris and other transportation hubs saw added security in the wake of the incident.
According to StarsandStripes.com, "Air Force officials at Ramstein (air base) are restricting travel tours to Paris for at least a week" in response to Wednesday's attack but have issued no other travel restrictions.
Currently, many consular offices are encouraging travelers to remain vigilant while out in public and to cooperate with police and security officials.
Last month, the U.S. State Department was proactive in issuing a worldwide travel alert for American citizens in response to the lone wolf assault in Sydney, Australia on Dec. 15.
TravelPulse editors James Ruggia and David Cogwell contributed to this report.
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