British tourists could face extra charges to visit top tourist attractions in France, as part of government plans.
France’s culture minister Rachida Dati wants to add a €5 surcharge to non-EU nationals wanting to visit attractions such as the Louvre.
The surcharges would be applied to state-owned museums, monuments and attractions, with the extra money used to help the upkeep and maintenance of historic sites.
Dati told Le Figaro: “I want visitors from outside the EU to pay more for their entrance ticket and for this supplement to finance the renovation of the national heritage.”
Tickets to visit the Louvre currently cost €22, but this could rise to €30 by 2026.
Dati questioned whether it was “normal” for a French person to “pay the same price for entry to the Louvre as a Brazilian or Chinese visitor.”
Of course, after Britain voted to leave the EU in 2016, this means these surcharges would apply to British tourists as well.
“The French people should not have to pay for everything on their own,” she added.
The Louvre attracts almost nine million visitors every year, with two thirds of these being from abroad.
The museum is famous for housing works such as the Mona Lisa, Venus de Milo and Liberty Leading the People.
Dati has also suggested people should be charged €5 to visit Notre Dame cathedral when it reopens on December 7 following five years of reconstruction after the devastating fire.
It is hoped this would raise €75m a year, which Dati claimed would be enough to “save all the churches in France.”
Related: Burger King trolls McDonald’s following Trump visit
