French culture minister in bid to charge tourists to visit Paris' Notre-Dame cathedral

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00:00It was a blaze which shocked the world.

00:05Five years and 846 million euros later, the world-famous Cathedral of Notre Dame is soon

00:12ready to once again open its doors to the world.

00:15But there might be a catch.

00:17Where a visit to the symbolic monument was once free, it might now cost you five euros,

00:23as suggested by Culture Minister Rashida Dati on Wednesday.

00:26I think they shouldn't charge for that, it's a principle, it's a religious site and people

00:37should be free to go to religious sites free of charge.

00:43The suggested entrance fee could potentially raise 75 million euros a year.

00:49The funds raised would go towards maintenance and renovation work of religious buildings

00:53around France.

00:54The French minister also said that international visitors might be charged more than locals,

01:00an idea which unsurprisingly does not resonate with tourists visiting the capital.

01:04Why should a tourist pay more than someone who lives here?

01:09I think there should be a single rate except for people who are unemployed or disabled.

01:13But I think we should have the same rights and the same price.

01:18Although Notre Dame is a public building, the local diocese voiced their opposition

01:22to an entrance fee.

01:23They said it went against religious principles of free practice and unconditional welcome.

01:29Before the fire, the Gothic building and its artefacts attracted almost 18 million visitors

01:34a year.

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