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GCC Culture Ministers Discuss Review of Cultural Strategy

The Saudi Assistant Minister of Culture participated in the 27th meeting of the GCC Culture Ministers in Muscat. SPA
The Saudi Assistant Minister of Culture participated in the 27th meeting of the GCC Culture Ministers in Muscat. SPA
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GCC Culture Ministers Discuss Review of Cultural Strategy

The Saudi Assistant Minister of Culture participated in the 27th meeting of the GCC Culture Ministers in Muscat. SPA
The Saudi Assistant Minister of Culture participated in the 27th meeting of the GCC Culture Ministers in Muscat. SPA

Saudi Assistant Minister of Culture Rakan bin Ibrahim Al-Touq participated on Thursday in the 27th meeting of the GCC Culture Ministers, which was held in Muscat.

Al-Touq represented Saudi Culture Minister Prince Badr bin Abdullah bin Farhan at the meeting, which discussed several items on its agenda.

Several recommendations and decisions were taken, including a review of the cultural strategy of the GCC countries, the annual plan for joint cultural events and activities, the account for joint cultural activities, the culture statistics platform, and the vision for developing joint work between the tourism and culture sectors.

The meeting also discussed the Center for Translation, Arabization and the Promotion of Arabic, the international cooperation in the cultural field, and the protection of the Gulf societies' religious, moral, and family values. It also discussed the meeting of the next session, which will be chaired by Qatar.

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Tourists Toss Coins over a Makeshift Pool as Rome’s Trevi Fountain Undergoes Maintenance

A small pool is seen in front of the Trevi Fountain to allow tourists to throw their coins in it, as the fountain has been emptied to undergo maintenance work that will last until around September 2025, in Rome, Friday, Nov. 1, 2024. (AP)
A small pool is seen in front of the Trevi Fountain to allow tourists to throw their coins in it, as the fountain has been emptied to undergo maintenance work that will last until around September 2025, in Rome, Friday, Nov. 1, 2024. (AP)
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Tourists Toss Coins over a Makeshift Pool as Rome’s Trevi Fountain Undergoes Maintenance

A small pool is seen in front of the Trevi Fountain to allow tourists to throw their coins in it, as the fountain has been emptied to undergo maintenance work that will last until around September 2025, in Rome, Friday, Nov. 1, 2024. (AP)
A small pool is seen in front of the Trevi Fountain to allow tourists to throw their coins in it, as the fountain has been emptied to undergo maintenance work that will last until around September 2025, in Rome, Friday, Nov. 1, 2024. (AP)

Tourists eager to return to the Eternal City are being forced to toss coins over a plastic barrier and into a small makeshift pool in front of Rome’s Trevi Fountain while the attraction is being drained for maintenance.

The rectangular box, unadorned and showing its plywood finish, has elicited mixed reactions. “I think it is a very sweet gesture that people can still do that," said Marianna Strekstadt, visiting from the Netherlands on Friday. A cashless traveler, she was taking a pass.

Others, like Daniela Carbone, found the substitute pool “ugly.” Yet, she gave her kids some coins to throw in anyway. “We have to please the children,” she said.

City lore has it that tossing a coin into the Baroque fountain will ensure a return trip to Rome. This tradition generates an estimated 1.5 million euros ($1.6 million) annually, which has been donated to the Catholic charity Caritas for the past 15 years.

To manage the overwhelming number of tourists visiting the fountain, Rome City officials are devising a plan to block off the area around the fountain. Visitors will be required to book online and then pay a fee of 2 euros ($2.20) to get in. Once inside, they will have 30 minutes to enjoy the fountain.