Les Bouquinistes, the booksellers whose iconic green stalls have lined the River Seine in the heart of Paris for more than two hundred years, are campaigning to be recognized by UNESCO as a world cultural treasure. Jerome Callais, the president of the bouquinistes’ trade group, has said that, “faced with the crisis among booksellers, the multimedia, and the increasing lack of education, we are hoping to put the spotlight on us. We are as important for tourists as the Eiffel Tower.”

The push for UNESCO recognition has received full support from the municipal government and the ministry of culture, which will put forward the booksellers’ candidacy.