[[{“value”:”That is the topic of my latest Bloomberg column, as the Cathedral is reopening in December. The government wants to charge visitors five euros, but the Church is opposed. Here is part of my proffered solution: First, charge a fee — but make it €10 rather than €5. If seeing Notre Dame is worth only
The post Should Notre Dame charge admission? appeared first on Marginal REVOLUTION.”}]]
That is the topic of my latest Bloomberg column, as the Cathedral is reopening in December. The government wants to charge visitors five euros, but the Church is opposed. Here is part of my proffered solution:
First, charge a fee — but make it €10 rather than €5. If seeing Notre Dame is worth only €7 or €8 to someone, I don’t mind excluding them, for the benefit of those who really want to see the place. The crowds should diminish — and if they don’t, just raise the admission fee. St. Paul’s in London, by the way, charges £25 for adult admission, and Saint-Denis in Paris charges €11. Anyone who can afford to visit Paris can afford to pay more than €5 to see Notre Dame.
Second, assign a priest, nun or other religious counsel to the church, to service any religiously minded visitor who might require assistance in matters of the soul. If need be, that person can walk the God-searching visitor to a nearby church where visits are free. Admission fees will help fund this service, which would be symbolically important even if little used.
Third, set aside further time for Notre Dame to be a quiet and more religious place. Maybe make admission free for one day per week — but only for residents of Paris. Since most visitors stay in Paris for more than a day, the determined tourist still should be able to see the church.
And note this:
The commercialization of churches has some major downsides — but an admission fee can be a partial antidote to commercialization, not its apogee.
And this:
To put it another way: Extreme crowding is a fee of another sort, even if its nominal price remains at zero.
Let’s hope they do it.
The post Should Notre Dame charge admission? appeared first on Marginal REVOLUTION.
Economics, Religion, Travel, Uncategorized
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