Paris's Louvre Museum said it would raise ticket prices for most non-EU visitors, meaning American, British and Chinese tourists will be among those paying €32 for entry – an increase of €10 on the current admission price. Prices will also increase at four other establishments, including the Château de Versailles.
Visitors to the Louvre from outside the European Economic Area (EEA) – the European Union, Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway – will have to pay the €32 entry price from 14 January, 2026.
The museum and staff unions announced that the measure was approved at a museum board meeting on Thursday.
A 2024 report published by the Louvre showed it received 8.7 million visitors that year. While French visitors represented "far and away the most represented nationality" at 23 percent, of the 77 percent of visitors from outside France, Americans were the most numerous, at 13 percent.
According to the museum, the price hike could boost annual revenues by up to €20 million, which would help fund structural improvements at the world's most visited museum, which is reeling from the daylight theft of priceless jewels last month.
On 19 October, a four-person gang raided the Louvre, taking just seven minutes to steal jewellery worth an estimated €88 million before fleeing on scooters.
An official investigation indicated that security equipment was lacking, and the museum's management has warned about the dilapidated state of its premises.
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'Discrimination'
Unions have unanimously criticised the increase in admission prices for non-Europeans, warning it would be perceived as "discrimination".
"We are not convinced by the argument that the renovation of the building justifies the destruction of two centuries of universalism at the Louvre," said the SUD union.
According to the CGT union, this pricing structure will mean people from outside the EEA will "pay a high price, confirming the state's disengagement, to visit a dilapidated museum".
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According to French culture minister Rachida Dati, a differentiated pricing structure will be in place by 2026 for "all national cultural operators".
"In total, the measure affects several national cultural establishments, including the Louvre Museum, the Château de Versailles, the Centre des Monuments Nationaux, the Paris Opera and the Château de Chambord," the Louvre Museum told franceinfo.
The Château de Versailles told French news agency AFP that it is considering increasing the price of individual visits by €3 for residents outside the EEA. However, this change in pricing, which could bring in some €9.3 million, has not yet been approved by the board of directors.
The Musée d'Orsay said it does not plan to change its prices at this stage.
(with AFP)
