Minister wants €5 entrance fee for Notre-Dame visitors
Money raised would go towards renovations of other religious sites. Higher ticket prices for non-EU visitors to tourist attractions is also proposed
The €5 fee could bring in €75 million a year
FredP/Shutterstock
Visitors to the Notre-Dame cathedral may soon be charged for a visit to the iconic church, under plans by Culture Minister Rachida Dati.
The minister wants to implement a €5 fee for entering the World Heritage Site when it reopens to the public on December 8 this year. Prior to the 2019 fire, entry was free to all.
The funds from this “symbolic charge for all tourist visits to Notre-Dame… [would be earmarked and put towards] a major plan to safeguard the religious heritage” of France,” the minister said in an interview with Le Figaro.
It would raise €75 million per year for the ministry, which would be pumped back into renovations and “save all of the churches in Paris and France” from destitution.
She has already discussed the plan with the Archbishop of Paris, but the policy has not been officially accepted.
Read more: Notre-Dame de Paris to reopen in December: what changes are planned?
Higher ticket prices for non-EU visitors to tourist sites
In addition to a fee to enter the Paris cathedral, the minister wants to see staggered ticket prices for non-EU visitors to the most popular tourist attractions.
“A country that gives up on major cultural projects gives up on being a great nation. If we have Mont-Saint-Michel, Versailles and the Louvre, it's because bold decisions were taken at a certain point in our history,” said Ms Dati.
“But to maintain this exceptional heritage, and leave a trace of the present for the future, we need significant and innovative resources. Taxation has its virtues, but it also has its limits,” she added.
“My position on this issue is very clear: I would like visitors from outside the EU to pay more for their admission ticket, and I would like this extra money to go towards renovating France's national heritage. The French people should not have to pay for everything on their own,” she said.
The minister plans for the price increases to come into effect from January 2026, although exact rates for the most famous attractions have not been announced.
It is also unclear whether this policy would affect all tourist attractions, or only certain major landmarks such as the Louvre and Versailles.
Read more: National heritage guardian helps to make history come alive for millions
