People wearing masks walk on the Trocadero Square in front of the Eiffel Tower in Paris, France.
Mehdi Taamallah/NurPhoto via Getty Images
- The Eiffel Tower will be reopened to tourists.
- It is estimated that half of the tourists are French, and the ratio of Italians and Spaniards is higher than usual.
- In order to respect social distancing, the daily capacity will be limited to 13,000 people, about half of the normal level.
The Eiffel Tower will reopen to tourists on Friday, the longest time it has been closed for nine months since World War II.
The “Iron Lady” lift will be restored to life, transporting tourists to the top of the 300-meter (1,000-foot) mountain, ending the long-term inactivity caused by the Covid-19 pandemic.
In order to respect social distancing, the daily capacity will be limited to 13,000 people, but about half of the normal level.
Starting from next Wednesday, tourists need to show a vaccination certificate or a negative test result, which is in line with the government’s recent requirements.
The head of the operating company, Jean-Franois Martins, told AFP: “Obviously, this is an additional operational complexity, but it is controllable.”
After the staff conducted the last round of security checks, he announced that “the lady is ready.”
Pre-booking tickets during the summer holidays highlights the changes in Paris’ tourism industry due to travel restrictions.
Martins said that British ticket holders are “almost completely absent”, while only 15% are Americans and very few are from Asia.
It is estimated that half of the tourists are French, and the ratio of Italians and Spaniards is higher than usual.
The long-term closure has caused serious damage to the finances of Sete, the operating company that manages the monument on behalf of the Paris city government.
After revenue drops by 75% to 25 million euros in 2020, the company will seek additional government assistance and a new 60 million euro cash injection to maintain its livelihood.
The masterpiece of architect Gustave Eiffel also has problems with his latest paint job, which is the 20th repainting since it was built in 1889.
Due to the high level of lead detected at the site, which posed a threat to the health of the workers, work was stopped in February.
Testing is still ongoing, and the paint can only be restored in the fall, which means that part of the exterior wall is covered by scaffolding and safety nets.
