The French Minister of Culture, Rachida Dati, proposes to charge tourists for entry into Notre-Dame de Paris cathedral, in order to finance “a major plan to safeguard religious heritage” in France, in an interview with Le Figaro published online Wednesday evening.
“Everywhere in Europe, access to the most remarkable religious buildings is subject to payment,” underlines the minister, who “proposed a simple idea to the Archbishop of Paris: setting up a symbolic rate for all tourist visits to Notre-Dame-de-France. Lady and devote this money entirely to a major plan to safeguard religious heritage.”
The cathedral is due to reopen on December 7, after five years of colossal reconstruction following the fire which ravaged it in 2019.
Fire at Notre-Dame de Paris: “A new important and symbolic step has been reached”
“With just 5 euros per visitor, we would collect 75 million euros per year. Thus, Notre-Dame de Paris would save all the churches of Paris and France. It would be a magnificent symbol,” says Ms. Dati.
“Notre-Dame has awakened our attention to religious heritage, which belongs to all French people, whatever their faith,” and which is deteriorating, according to her.
The minister is also speaking out in favor of adjusting the pricing of national monuments or museums, from 2026. “Is it, for example, normal for a French visitor to pay the same price for entry to the Louvre as a Brazilian or Chinese visitor? ”, she asks.
Behind the scenes of the Notre-Dame de Paris construction site
Ms. Dati “wants that visitors from outside the EU pay more for their entry ticket and that this supplement goes to finance the renovation of national heritage”.
“The French are not intended to pay everything, on their own” and this would be “a real break in the pricing policy of our cultural establishments”, she notes.
In 2023, the Louvre Museum received a total of 8.9 million visitors (+14% compared to 2022). Some 68% were foreign tourists and 32% French visitors.
