Chris Cantell Discusses Entertainment: Sarkozy fulfills promise

by Claudia Sonea

President Nicolas Sarkozy before his May election made a campaign promoting the idea of free entrance for museums in order to attract more people that are not usual museum goers or art lovers. His idea created a France's culture world debate, if it's only a matter of democratizing culture. However, now President's promise is being fulfilled, starting January 1, 14 French museums and monuments will be non-fee-paying for all visitors during six months, according to Culture Minister Christine Albanel. Paris hosts three of the elected museums: Guimet, home to Asian art, Cluny with medieval treasures and Arts et Metiers, dedicated to scientific inventions. Normally a visitor would have to pay between 9 and 11 dollars for a ticket. Nevertheless, Albanel said it's a trial period after which she will analyse how things are going and if the idea works. This initiative it's not new. Britain, starting 2001 scrapped entrance fees for many museums registering a 30 million increase in visitor number, according to former Culture Secretary Tessa Jowell. Also US' Smithsonian Institution museums and national zoo in Washington are also free of charge and the number of 23.2 million visitors proves it's a good idea to cancel fee entrances. In France it will go by the following rules: only permanent collections are non-fee-paying, while for the temporary ones are chargeable. As part of the experiment Orsay museum in Paris will introduce an open night per week for people with age between 18 and 25, while Louvre already has Friday night free of charge. Usually a ticket for the first one cost around 11 dollars, while for the latter one cost $13. However, Francoise Benhamou, a Sorbonne economics professor points out that for usual museum goers are already a lot of free nights that they can enjoy and only tourist will benefit of this decision. Still, he doesn't understand that this opportunity was not created for the usual museum visitor, but for those that are reluctant towards such a thing. It is commonly known that people would experience anything as long as it is free. Therefore the former experiences of the European countries are proves that it does work. As for the tourists that don't pay any tax to the state, even if it hurts to say that it would be better to make a difference and impose them a tax. They might not have the money to visit everything they want- as Benhamou said- but that's life. Enjoy!

related story: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap_travel/20071024/ap_tr_ge/travel_brief_france_free_museums;_ylt=AnnQyUM2cFQX9ay02I97jtKs0NUE

by Claudia Sonea for PocketNews (http://pocketnews.tv)

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Posted by: Jana Kalicka