Kim Kardashian robbed in Paris ‘shows city is unsafe’ Presidential hopeful claims
KIM Kardashian’s robbery in Paris has reignited lingering fears the glamorous capital is a terrorist hub teeming with armed men and unsafe for tourists.
Kim Kardashian arriving back in New York City with Kanye West after Paris robbery
Kim Kardashian was robbed at gunpoint in her hotel room during the early hours of Monday, by five men who broke into her luxury private apartment in Paris.
The robbers, disguised as police officers, gagged Kim Kardashian and made her fear she would be raped, before they made off with jewellery worth £8.8m (€10m).
Hours after the robbery hit the headlines, right wing presidential hopeful Mrs Kosciusko-Morizet told French radio station Europe 1 the incident highlighted the “urgent need” to improve security in Paris, claiming the news would crush the capital’s flailing tourism industry.
Jeanne d’Hauteserre, the mayor of the 8th arrondissement, the upmarket district where the attack took place, also denounced the lack of armed police on patrol throughout the city.
First Video of Kim Kardashian Arriving in New York After Robbery
Kim followed closely by husband Kanye arriving at their Manhattan apartment
The worldwide attention forced Paris mayor Anne Hidalgo to release a statement in a bid to shake off an unwanted reputation.
The Paris terror attacks had such a widespread impact on the tourism industry
She said that the capital remains “extremely safe”, that the attack was “rare”, and the reality TV star would “always be welcome in Paris”.
Mrs Hidalgo also denounced those who, earlier that day, had said the security measures implemented across the capital following the wave of terrorist attacks were not up to scratch, a thinly veiled reproach directed against right-wing presidential hopeful, Nathalie Kosciusko-Morizet.
It is the tourism industry which is likely to be the hardest hit by the TV star’s assault.
The reality star's wedding ring worth several millions of dollars was stolen by the thieves
Since the bloody ISIS-led attacks in the capital last November, Parisian hotels have seen their overall revenue drop by more than 20 per cent, whilst restaurants have seen theirs plummet by more than 25 per cent.
Tourism expert Frédéric Pierret, the managing director of tourism association Alliance 46.2, told French newspaper Le Figaro people – including tourists and politicians – should not be focusing on one single event.
The luxury apartment Kim was staying in when she was robbed by French thugs
He said: “The Paris terror attacks had such a widespread impact on the tourism industry because they involved multiple, brutal assaults.
"But unfortunately, this one isolated incident (Kim Kardashian’s) has added fuel to the fire, and could really tarnish France’s reputation as a top tourist destination.”