French ministers have suggested charging tourists to enter Paris’s iconic Notre-Dame cathedral when it reopens in December after a five-year restoration. The proposal has drawn mixed reactions from both Parisians and visitors.
"Across Europe, people have to pay to get into the most remarkable religious buildings," Culture Minister Rachida Dati told conservative daily Le Figaro in an interview on Wednesday.
She proposed "a symbolic charge for all tourist visits to Notre-Dame with the money totally dedicated to a major plan for conserving religious heritage" in a conversation with the Catholic archbishop of Paris.
Notre-Dame, gutted by a fire in 2019, is set to reopen on 7 December following an extensive reconstruction. A €5 entrance fee could generate around €75 million annually, Dati estimated.
"That way, Notre-Dame would be saving every church in Paris and across France. It would be a magnificent symbol," she said.
Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau supported the idea, noting that visitors are charged €5 to enter the Sagrada Familia in Barcelona.
"If for five euros we can save religious heritage that people cherish, whether they believe or not... it's just part of the French landscape," Retailleau told France Inter.
Criticism
However, not everyone agrees. Historian Alexandre Gady, a member of the National Commission for Architecture and Heritage, called the proposal "a money-making plan in the wrong place".
Gady suggested increasing the tourist tax slightly instead, pointing out that charging for entry clashes with the principle of "cultural democratisation" initiated by Culture Minister André Malraux in 1959.
Parisians also have mixed feelings. Christine, in her 70s, called it "a very big disappointment" but added: "If we can maintain the church, why not, but it’s still shocking."
Vincent, another local, said the idea was acceptable as long as the money goes directly to repairing the cathedral and not into the state coffers.
Five years after devastating fire, race to rebuild Notre-Dame gains pace
Non-EU visitors to pay more?
Dati also proposed charging higher fees for tourists from outside the European Union to visit French national monuments and museums.
"The French public shouldn’t have to pay for everything by themselves," she said.
Tourists near Notre-Dame mostly welcomed the idea, saying they were used to paying for church visits in countries like Italy and England.
However, what bothers Anna, a German tourist, is the idea of having a fixed price: "You shouldn't force people to pay, it would be better to let them choose what they give. If you can give two euros, you give two euros, and if you can give 10 euros, you give 10."
France was the world's most visited country in 2023, according to the UN's World Tourism Organisation, with around 100 million arrivals – beating out Spain, the US, Italy, and Turkey in the top five.
(with AFP)
