Eiffel Tower has reopened to visitors.
Gatekeepers News reports that the Eiffel Tower has reopened to visitors after nine months of shutdown caused by the COVID pandemic.
The lifts of the “Iron Lady” have again whisked tourists to its 300-metre (1,000-foot) summit, and its majestic views of the French capital as a marching band played.
Ila, who came from Hamburg, Germany, said, “It’s a gift to be here. We love Paris.” She waited more than two hours with her daughter Helena to be among the first to the top.
The Head of the tower’s operating company, Jean-Francois Martins, said, “Tourism is coming back to Paris, and we can again share the happiness, with visitors from around the world, of this monument and Paris.”
Instead of the usual 25,000 visitors per day, the number of daily visitors to the tower will be limited to 13,000 a day given to the continued border restrictions and virus risks.
In line with recent government-imposed requirements as COVID cases again begin to rise, visitors will need to show either proof of vaccination or a negative test from Wednesday next week.
Martins said, “Obviously, it’s an additional operational complication, but it’s manageable.”
The opening of the Tower followed the reopening of France’s international tourism centres this summer. The rules, however, vary widely depending on which country they are coming from.
Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo also welcomed the opening and encouraged visitors to “rediscover the emblematic monument”.
