Louvre hikes ticket prices for most non-EU tourists by 45%

Ticket prices for the Louvre Museum in Paris will increase by 45% for most non-European Union visitors, the museum’s board of directors decided on Thursday.

Starting early next year, tourists from countries such as the US, UK and China will have to pay €32 ($37; £28) to enter the museum; This price increase is expected to raise millions of euros a year to fund the overhaul of the famous gallery.

The museum’s security and management have faced criticism since a brazen robbery in October, when a four-man gang stole $102m (£76m) worth of jewelery and escaped within minutes.

An official inspection of the museum released shortly after the robbery noted the institution’s inadequate security systems and outdated infrastructure.

From January 14, visitors from countries outside the European Economic Area, including EU member states, Iceland, Norway and Liechtenstein, will pay an extra €10 to enter the world’s most visited museum.

Last year, the Louvre hosted approximately 9 million visitors, most of them from abroad. More than a tenth of its visitors come from the United States and about 6% from China, according to the museum.

There have long been calls about the museum’s ability to host crowds, with visitors often complaining about gallery congestion and long queues.

In January, French President Emmanuel Macron and the Louvre announced improvements to the museum and proposed higher fees for non-EU residents in 2026.

Macron also said the Mona Lisa would be moved to a new area to deal with overcrowding.

Many of the Louvre’s 30,000 daily visitors flock to see Leonardo da Vinci’s masterpiece. Crowds mill around the Salle des États, the gallery where the Mona Lisa is displayed, leaving each visitor with just a few minutes to view the painting and take photos.

The Louvre will also renovate other areas of the museum and add new amenities such as restrooms and restaurants; these improvements are expected to cost several hundred million euros.

Earlier this month, the Louvre announced the closure of a gallery displaying Greek ceramics due to structural concerns.

An investigation following the October robbery found that the museum spent significantly more on purchasing new art and much less on maintenance and restoration.