French Minister of Culture Rashida Dati in an interview for the newspaper Le Figaro has expressed the opinion that the entrance fee to the cathedral could be introduced as early as December 8, when it will be opened to the public after years of restoration. Before the cathedral was destroyed in a fire in 2019, entrance to it was free for everyone.
“The money we will get from the symbolic fee for all tourists to visit the Notre-Dame Cathedral will be directed to a special plan for the preservation of France’s religious heritage. This will allow the ministry to obtain an additional 75 million euros annually, which can be invested in restoration and save all the churches in Paris and France,” the ministers quotes Le Figaro. The minister also wants to increase the entrance fee to the most visited cultural monuments in the country from January 2026. This would only apply to tourists who are not from European Union countries. “The fact that we have Mont Saint-Michel, Versailles and the Louvre is thanks to brave decisions taken at a certain time in history. But to preserve this special heritage requires significant and innovative resources. There are limits to tax collection. That is why I want tourists from outside the EU would pay more for entrance tickets. This money could be used to renovate France’s national cultural heritage.”
Source: www.diena.lv
