Outcry as France's Louvre museum hikes prices for most non-European visitors

The Louvre museum in the French capital, Paris, is hiking its ticket prices for most non-European visitors by 45 per cent.

The famous institution was the scene last year of a daring heist which saw robbers get away with jewels worth over a $100 million dollars, blamed in part on its deteriorating state.

"I want visitors from outside the EU to pay more … and for that surcharge to go towards funding the renovation of our national heritage," Culture Minister Rachida Dati said announcing the hikes in 2024.

But France’s decision to increase entry costs to the help fund much-needed renovations has sparked an outcry.

Trade unions at the Louvre have denounced the policy as "shocking philosophically, socially, and on a human level" and have called for strike action over the change.

They argue that the museum's vast collection of half a million items, including many from the Middle East, Egypt, and elsewhere in Africa, hold universal human value.

Museum workers add that they are also worried for practical reasons saying they will now have to check the identity papers of all visitors.

From Wednesday, any adult from outside the European Union, Iceland, Liechtenstein, and Norway will have to pay $37 to enter the Louvre.

American, British, and Chinese nationals, who are some of the museum's most numerous foreign visitors, will be among those affected, as will tourists from poorer countries.

Other state-owned French tourist hotspots are also hiking their fees, including the Versailles Palace, the national opera house in Paris, and Chambord Palace in the Loire region.

France’s “dual-pricing” move has few precedents elsewhere in Europe, but is more common in developing countries.

Pricing based on age is commonplace in Europe, with access for under-18s free at places such as the Acropolis in Athens or the Colosseum in Rome to encourage them to visit.

The Louvre will remain free for minors from all countries.