- Title: Should tourists pay to visit France's Notre-Dame cathedral?
- Date: 24th October 2024
- Summary: PARIS, FRANCE (OCTOBER 24, 2024) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF NOTRE DAME CATHEDRAL TOURISTS IN FRONT OF NOTRE DAME NOTRE DAME (SOUNDBITE) (English) GREEK TOURIST, MARIA BELYAKOVA, SAYING: "I think that it's fair because five euros is not that much and if you're a tourist in the country, you can probably afford it. And well, to see the beauty, I think it's okay and to rebuild more
- Embargoed: 7th November 2024 14:15
- Keywords: Notre Dame
- Location: PARIS, FRANCE
- City: PARIS, FRANCE
- Country: France
- Topics: Europe,Religion/Belief,Society/Social Issues
- Reuters ID: LVA001439824102024RP1
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: France should charge visitors a small fee to see the Notre-Dame cathedral to help the country keep its world-famous churches and cathedrals in shape, the culture minister has said.
Rachida Dati told newspaper Le Figaro in an interview published late on Wednesday that by charging only 5 euros per visitor Notre-Dame could raise 75 million euros ($81 million) a year.
Tourists near the Notre-Dame on Thursday (October 24) said they disagreed with with Dati, saying entrance to the cathedral should be free, while some French people agreed with her proposal.
In France, where secularism is part of the national identity, the state is in charge of maintaining the country's religious sites, including 15,000 classified as historic monuments, which are usually free of charge.
Notre-Dame has been undergoing reconstruction after a fire severely damaged its roof and spire. President Emmanuel Macron had pledged to rebuild Notre-Dame within five years, drawing massive private-sector financial support.
Dati, a former Paris district mayor, also said tourists from outside the European Union should pay more to visit non-religious landmarks.
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