(AFP, Paris) Starting in 2026, visitors from outside the European Union will have to pay 45% more for tickets to the Louvre Museum in Paris than EU visitors. This will generate an additional €20 million (approximately S$30 million) in revenue annually for the Louvre, which will be used to upgrade its facilities.
The Louvre's board of directors approved a new policy that visitors from outside the EU, Iceland, Liechtenstein, and Norway will have to pay €32 starting January 14th next year, €10 more than the previous flat rate of €22.
The Louvre is arguably the world's most visited museum, attracting 8.7 million visitors globally that year, according to its 2024 annual report. 69% of these visitors were from outside the country, with Americans being the most numerous and Chinese the third most numerous.
On October 19th, four thieves stole jewelry worth over US$102 million (approximately S$130 million) from the Louvre in just seven minutes, then escaped on electric scooters.
Police investigations revealed that the Louvre Museum lacked adequate security, and management had issued warnings regarding the museum's building condition.
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The museum told the media that raising ticket prices would generate an additional €20 million in revenue annually, which would be used to address "structural problems."
However, local unions criticized the museum's decision to abolish the uniform pricing, deeming it "discriminatory."
