The Olympic Games had effects in Paris by multiple ways, and one of them is the economic. After having expanded by 0.3 percent in the second quarter, the Banque de France said it expects the French economy to grow by nearly 0.5% in July-September quarter, after having expanded by 0.3 percent in the second quarter. The Olympic Games officially opened in late July and the Paralympic Games finish in September.

Also, up to 0.25 percentage points of that growth down to the impact of the Games was put down by The Central Bank. Its forecast is broadly in line with that of France's statistics agency INSEE, which expects a 0.3% point increase in third quarter growth due to the Games, taking overall growth in the quarter to 0.5%.

As another economic reference, Visa said its data showed that small businesses in Paris reported a 26% rise in sales to Visa cardholders during the first weekend of the Olympic Games compared with a year earlier. "Our latest data shows a significant increase in consumer spending among Visa cardholders during the opening ceremony weekend," said Visa Europe CEO Charlotte Hogg.

Visa, which is one of the corporate sponsors for the Olympics, said its U.S. cardholders accounted for the biggest slice of foreign Olympics-related spending, with their spending 29% higher than a year earlier.

In the country, and also de small cities, there was a big concern ahead of the world's largest sporting event that it may in fact be a drag on the French economy as many tourists who would normally visit Paris were staying away. Hotels and airlines like Air France said they had seen a drop in bookings.

The Banque de France said there was still considerable uncertainty about its forecast, with the positive effect from the Games confronting a negative effect from the uncertain political situation after no clear winner emerged from parliamentary elections in June and July.

In any case the economic boost from the Games will be fleeting. It will "mostly disappear in the fourth quarter," the central bank's chief economist, Olivier Garnier, told journalists.

What the numbers say

Ticket sales and revenues from audiovisual broadcasting have a direct positive effect on French economic activities in Q3, contributing 0.25% points, it said, while tourists, an uncertain factor of the "Olympic effect," will also contribute to the GDP growth in the period.

The Centre for Law and Economics of Sport (CDES) at the University of Limoges estimates that between 2018, when preparations for the Paris Olympics began, and 2034, a decade after the event, the economic impact of the Olympics for the Ile-de-France region will be between €6.7 and €11.1 billion ($6.1 and $10.2 billion), with a median of around €9 bn ($8.26 bn). Of this amount, 70% would come from construction and event organisation, with 30% from tourism.

In terms of employment, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) predicts that the Paris Olympics will create a total of 181,000 jobs and train 30,000 people in professional skills.