 "You will have to pay more if visiting the Eiffel Tower in Paris. Here’s why")
The iconic Eiffel Tower, a symbol of romance and grandeur in the heart of Paris, is making headlines once again—but this time, it’s not for its breathtaking views or architectural splendor.
Rather, visitors to the famous landmark are in for a surprise as ticket prices are set to climb by a staggering 20 percent starting June 17.
From spiraling renovation costs to coping with financial losses, the Paris City Hall last week voted in favour of increasing ticket prices at one of the world’s most visited monuments.
When Gustave Eiffel unveiled his masterpiece back in 1887, he wisely recommended a paint job every seven years to fend off the relentless advance of rust.
However, it seems this sage advice has fallen by the wayside. The French monument has languished without a fresh, complete coat of paint for over a decade. So, what’s behind this delay? Let’s take a closer look
What are the new ticket prices?
An adult ticket including an elevator ride to the summit of the Parisian landmark will cost 35.30 euros ($38.31) from next month, rising from 29.40 euros ($31.91), French news broadcaster BFMTV reported.
The same ticket for children aged between 12 and 14 years old will cost 17.70 euros ($19.21) and the price for children between four and 11 years old to reach the tower’s summit will be 8.90 euros ($9.66), the broadcaster further said.
The price increase has been brought about, BFMTV reported, in part because of a “significant loss of revenue” caused by the “health crisis between 2020 and 2022” and rising renovation costs.
How much did COVID-19 impact tourism?
The impact of COVID-19 on global tourism was profound, and the Eiffel Tower was no exception.
Visitor numbers plummeted as closures and travel restrictions took their toll. In 2020, less than 1.6 million people visited France’s iconic ‘Iron Lady,’ a sharp decline from the nearly 6.2 million visitors recorded the previous year. The following year saw a slight improvement, with just under 2.1 million visitors, still far below pre-pandemic levels.
These drastic reductions had severe financial implications, the SETE reported. It said the operating costs during the pandemic were around three times the landmark’s overall turnover. In 2020 alone, operating expenses amounted to a staggering 84.43 million euros.
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However, the tide began to turn as restrictions eased. Visitor numbers rebounded to 5.9 million in 2022 and climbed to 6.3 million in 2023, signaling a promising recovery in tourism.
Yet, as visitor numbers surged back, so did the costs associated with maintaining and renovating at the 300-metre long iconic monument.
Raising funds for renovation
The Paris city council has approved a recapitalisation plan for the Eiffel Tower’s operator, Sociéte d’Exploitation de la tour Eiffel (SETE), simultaneously slashing the annual fee it charged to the operator for managing the Parisian monument.
As per BFMTV, the painting work at the tower is expected to last until 2027 while work is also planned on the elevators, which will lead to occasional closures ahead of the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris.
Tourism numbers had taken a hit during COVID-19, leading to the Eiffel Tower facing a daunting 120 million euros ($130 million) shortfall. In response, its operator received a capitalisation injection of 60 million euros from authorities in 2021.
However, unions called a strike earlier this year arguing that the high leasing fee charged by the city hall and the given sum falls short of what was needed, especially considering the pressing maintenance requirements of the monument.
In a joint statement, the CGT and FO unions had called on the city of Paris “to be reasonable with their financial demands to ensure the survival of the monument and the company operating it”.
In 2022, the French magazine Marianne released a confident report that stated that the 60 million euros was just a ‘cosmetic makeover’ before the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris and that the monument was in a poor state, riddled with rust, and needed full repair.
“If Gustave Eiffel visited the place he would have a heart attack,” the manager at the tower had told Marianne.
With input from agencies
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