French Culture Minister Rachida Dati has proposed charging higher entrance fees for non-EU citizens visiting the Louvre, as well as introducing an entry fee for Paris’s Notre Dame Cathedral.
While the French Ministry of Culture has been spared from spending cuts under new Prime Minister Michel Barnier’s austerity plan, Dati told Le Figaro that more funding is needed to finance innovations and the conservation of numerous French monuments.
She suggested that non-EU visitors should pay higher entrance fees to the Louvre, with the additional funds being used to renovate other French landmarks. Additionally, Dati proposed a symbolic fee for tourists visiting Notre Dame, with all proceeds going toward a comprehensive plan to preserve France’s religious heritage.
“With just €5 per visitor, we could collect €75 million annually, which would allow Notre Dame to help save churches throughout Paris and France,” Dati explained.
Notre Dame, closed to the public since the devastating 2019 fire, is set to reopen on 8 December.