The landscape of Paris’ tourism industry, France’s Culture Minister Rachida Dati has recently suggested a series of changes that could lead to higher entry fees for non-EU visitors at some of Paris’ most popular attractions. The proposal is aimed at generating much-needed funds for the restoration and preservation of France’s cultural and religious heritage. Among the primary targets for these new entry fees are the renowned Louvre Museum and the historic Notre-Dame Cathedral, set to reopen to the public in December 2024, following its devastating fire in 2019.
The suggested changes, which come in the wake of a new austerity plan by Prime Minister Michel Barnier, could mean that visitors like the fictional Emily Cooper from Netflix’s Emily in Paris might have to fork out more cash to experience Paris’ iconic landmarks. While the French culture ministry was spared from major budget cuts, Dati has emphasized the need for alternative funding sources to maintain and innovate France’s vast cultural offerings.
In an interview with the conservative newspaper Le Figaro, Rachida Dati expressed her concern about the state of France’s cultural and religious heritage. According to Dati, the government’s current budget allocation for culture is insufficient to meet the needs of both conserving historical monuments and encouraging innovation. To bridge this gap, she has put forth a number of solutions, including introducing entry fees at Notre-Dame Cathedral and increasing ticket prices for non-EU visitors at the Louvre Museum.
For the Louvre, Dati suggested that “visitors from outside the EU pay more for their entry tickets” as a way to finance the renovation of other French attractions. The Louvre, home to world-famous works like the Mona Lisa and Venus de Milo, is one of the most visited museums in the world, attracting around 10 million visitors each year, with a significant portion of them being international tourists. Under Dati’s proposal, non-EU tourists, who already contribute significantly to France’s tourism revenue, would bear a greater share of the cost for the upkeep of national cultural treasures.
In the case of Notre-Dame Cathedral, which has been under restoration since the 2019 fire that destroyed its roof and spire, Dati’s proposal is even more symbolic. Currently, entry to the cathedral is free, although visitors have to pay to access certain areas such as the towers. Dati believes that a modest entry fee of €5 per tourist could make a substantial difference. She estimated that this fee could raise up to €75 million annually, money which could then be used not only to safeguard Notre-Dame but also to support the conservation of other churches across Paris and France.
“We must take action to safeguard our heritage,” Dati stated, emphasizing that “with just €5 per visitor, Notre-Dame de Paris would save all the churches in Paris and France.”
Dati’s proposal comes at a time when the French government is grappling with significant financial challenges. In response to mounting public debt, Prime Minister Michel Barnier has introduced a series of austerity measures aimed at reining in spending across a number of sectors. Although the Ministry of Culture has been spared from the most severe cuts, it is still facing financial constraints. This has prompted Dati and other officials to look for alternative funding models, including increasing fees for tourists.
France’s cultural sector is vast and diverse, encompassing not only its world-famous museums but also thousands of historical monuments, churches, and other sites that require constant upkeep. The restoration of Notre-Dame alone is expected to cost hundreds of millions of euros, and while private donations have helped fund the project so far, additional resources are needed to ensure that both the cathedral and other monuments receive the attention they need.
Dati has positioned her proposal as part of a broader strategy to ensure that France’s cultural heritage is preserved for future generations while also embracing innovation in the arts. She has argued that without additional funding, France risks losing the cultural dynamism that has made it one of the most visited countries in the world.
While Dati’s proposal is intended to support the conservation of France’s cultural sites, it raises important questions about the impact on tourism, particularly for non-EU visitors. Tourists from countries like the United States, China, and Australia represent a significant portion of those visiting the Louvre and Notre-Dame. For many of these travelers, visiting these iconic landmarks is a key reason for traveling to Paris. An increase in ticket prices could affect their experience and overall perception of the city’s accessibility.
At present, tickets for the Louvre cost €17 for adults, with free admission for children and young people under 18, and for EU residents under 26. Under Dati’s proposal, non-EU visitors might see a noticeable increase in this price, though the exact amount has not yet been specified. This potential change could spark debate about the fairness of charging tourists different rates based on their country of origin.
Some tourism experts have expressed concern that higher fees could discourage long-haul tourists, especially from countries outside the EU, from visiting Paris in the first place. The cost of international travel is already substantial, and additional fees at major attractions could push some tourists to choose other, more affordable destinations. On the other hand, proponents of the plan argue that the proposed price increases are modest compared to the overall cost of a trip to Europe, and that most international visitors would be willing to pay a bit more to experience world-renowned sites like the Louvre.
In the case of Notre-Dame, the proposed €5 entry fee is relatively small, especially compared to the cost of entry to other European cathedrals, such as St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome or Westminster Abbey in London, both of which charge higher entry fees for tourists. Nonetheless, the introduction of a fee at a site that has traditionally been free to enter could be seen as a symbolic shift, highlighting the challenges of balancing access to cultural heritage with the financial realities of maintaining it.
A key component of Dati’s proposal is tied to the reopening of Notre-Dame Cathedral, which has been closed to the public since the fire in April 2019. The fire, which shocked the world and caused widespread devastation to the cathedral’s roof and spire, also sparked an outpouring of financial support, with donations coming in from individuals and corporations around the world.
The restoration efforts have been intense, with workers carefully rebuilding the structure to its original design, while also incorporating modern technologies to improve its resilience against future disasters. As of now, the reopening of Notre-Dame is scheduled for December 8, 2024, a date eagerly awaited by Parisians and tourists alike. This will mark the first time in over five years that the public will be able to step inside the iconic Gothic cathedral, which has been a symbol of Paris for centuries.
The reopening is expected to attract millions of visitors, making it one of the biggest cultural events in recent memory. It will also provide a crucial test for Dati’s proposal. If the entry fee is implemented, it will be interesting to see how tourists respond, and whether the funds generated are enough to meet the ambitious goals for heritage conservation that Dati has outlined.
The debate surrounding Dati’s proposal highlights a broader tension in cultural policy: how to fund the preservation of historic sites while keeping them accessible to the public. France, like many countries, faces the challenge of maintaining its cultural treasures in the face of limited public funding and increasing demands on the state budget. Tourism is a major contributor to the French economy, and ensuring that tourists continue to visit while also contributing to the upkeep of the attractions they enjoy is a delicate balancing act.
For many, paying a small fee to visit Notre-Dame or the Louvre is a fair price to ensure that these sites are preserved for future generations. Others, however, worry that introducing entry fees or increasing prices for certain groups of visitors could make France’s cultural heritage feel more like a commodity than a shared global treasure.
Dati’s proposal will depend on how it is implemented and how tourists respond. If managed carefully, the plan could provide a much-needed financial boost for France’s cultural sector, while ensuring that iconic landmarks like Notre-Dame and the Louvre remain vibrant and well-maintained for years to come.
