Astro Bug

PRAGUE - AstroBug -- The busiest day of the year for travel photoshoots in Paris is Dec. 30, not a summer day or Valentine's Day, according to two years of bookings at Smiler, a platform that connects travelers with local professional photographers.

On Dec. 30, Paris sees 3.4 times as many photoshoots as on an average day, followed by New Year's Eve at 2.8 times and Valentine's Day at 2.4 times. Christmas Day is 1.7 times busier than an average July day, while Bastille Day does not reach the July average.

The rush starts late. Through the first three weeks of December, Paris stays below its yearly average, even with the Christmas lights on. The week of Dec. 25–31 then jumps to 2.1 times the average, and 1.9 times an average summer day.

In December, one in five Paris photoshoots starts within 45 minutes of sunset or later, when the illuminations are on. In June, almost none do.

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Brazilian travelers book 7.6 percent of their annual photoshoots in the last eight days of December, more than three times an even spread, followed by travelers from Italy, the Philippines and India. U.S. travelers make up 25 percent of Paris photoshoots in the holiday week, against 29 percent across the year.

"The week between Christmas and New Year's Eve is when many families are finally off work and traveling together, and it is the trip they want to remember," said Tomas Dekan, CEO of Smiler. "Our photographers in Paris plan their own holidays around it."

Smiler recommends booking early for Dec. 27–31 and starting about an hour before the 5 pm sunset to capture both daylight and the Christmas lights.

The full report, with figures for London, Edinburgh, Strasbourg and other cities, is available here.

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Methodology
Based on all photoshoots booked through Smiler and its partner channels that took place in 2024 and 2025. Cancelled, unpaid, and test bookings are excluded. Shoots are counted by local date, and each city is compared with its own average day. Absolute volumes are not disclosed.

About Smiler
Smiler connects travelers with hundreds of local professional photographers in 129 cities worldwide, with photos delivered within 48 hours. Smiler is rated 4.8 out of 5 from more than 9,000 verified customer reviews. The company is based in Prague, Czech Republic.

Media contact
Alica Zoldak • press@smiler.co • https://smiler.co