Pope Leo XIV’s two-day visit to Paris in September 2025 generated a considerable business boost for the French capital and the entire Île-de-France region. According to the Vatican, approximately 800,000 people attended the open-air Mass that Pope Leo XIV in Paris on Saturday, September 26. The sheer number of visitors was enough to cause a noticeable increase in business activity for the tourism sector in the French capital.
In order to assess the “Pope Leo effect” on business activity, fintech company SumUp analyzed the volume of transactions processed by its readers on the day of the event and the same days in 2025. The results demonstrate that the Pope’s visit had a considerable impact on the business volume of Parisian and Île-de-France companies, which were particularly active in the tourism and leisure industry.
The data reveals that, compared to the same days in 2025, business volume in Paris and Île-de-France increased by 47.9% and 55.6%, respectively, on Friday, September 25, the day of the Pope’s arrival. The number of transactions also rose considerably, increasing by 90.6% in Île-de-France and 94.8% in Paris.
The business environment improved further on Saturday, September 26. Compared to the same day in 2025, business volume increased by 56.4% and 74.9% in Île-de-France and Paris, respectively. The number of transactions rose by 92% and 95.3%.
The sectors that benefited the most from the Pope’s visit are connected with tourism and leisure. On Saturday, September 26, tourism-related business volume in Paris increased by 118.2% compared to the same day in 2025, and the number of transactions rose by 276.1%. Leisure and entertainment activities saw a 63.6% increase in business volume and 138.1% increase in the number of transactions. Souvenir and gift shops were also among the biggest winners, with a staggering 91.7% increase in business volume in Paris on September 26.
The hospitality sector fared well, too, with hotel business volume in Paris increasing by 34.2% and the number of transactions rising by 315.7%. Overall, Île-de-France tourism sector witnessed an 89.1% increase in business volume and 136.3% increase in the number of transactions on Saturday, September 26. Leisure activities also saw a 47.5% increase in business volume and 134.7% increase in the number of transactions. On Friday, September 25, the number of transactions increased by 153.3% in the hotel sector in Île-de-France. Bars and clubs benefited from Pope’s visit too, with business volume and the number of transactions rising by 75.8% and 75.4%, respectively.
Restaurants and cafes witnessed an increase in business volume by 54.8% on Friday and 53.4% on Saturday in Paris. In Île-de-France, the increase was equal to 56.3% and 48.3%, respectively. Food trucks were also among the major beneficiaries of the Pope’s visit, with business volume increasing by 64.1% on Friday and 79.9% on Saturday in Île-de-France.
As is evident from the data, a high-profile and high-impact event such as Leo XIV’s visit to Paris generated considerable business benefits for local companies, particularly those involved in the leisure and tourism sector.
