For the first time in France, a museum will set up differentiated pricing, Emmanuel Macron announced this Tuesday, January 28.
While the Louvre faces a disturbing degradation and difficulties linked to the thousands of visitors who pass every day under the pyramid and in front of the famous Mona Lisa, President Emmanuel Macron made new announcements concerning the museum, Tuesday January 28.
Where to find the hundreds of millions of euros essential for the renovation and enlargement of the Louvre desired by Emmanuel Macron? According to forecasts, the required amounts vary between 700 and 900 million euros, and at the Élysée, it is ensured that only a very small fraction of this sum will be taken care of by the State.
This is why an increase in entry rates for visitors outside Europe will be set up. This proposal, defended a few months ago by the president of the Louvre, Laurence des Cars, and supported by Rachida Dati, was confirmed by Emmanuel Macron. During his visit to the museum on Tuesday, the president announced that this measure would be applied from “January 1, 2026”. Although the precise price (probably around 30 euros) has not yet been set, the Louvre provides that this increase will bring back several tens of millions of euros.
Already, at the beginning of 2024, the museum had increased 30 % of its entry price, going from 17 to 22 euros. Even increasing prices for American, Chinese or Brazilian tourists would be a new project. Currently, 68 % of the 8.6 million annual visitors come from abroad, among which 11 % are American, 6.4 % Italian and 2.3 % Chinese, relates Le Figaro.
A first in France
In France, the introduction of differentiated rates would be new. Major tourist places such as Mont-Saint-Michel, the Arc de Triomphe or the Sainte-Chapelle could adopt this measure. It remains to be seen whether these pricing adjustments will discourage visitors from outside Europe. However, museums have understood that in general, the more tourists come from afar, the less sensitive to entry prices.
The practice of differentiated pricing is quite rare among major museums and world tourist sites. For example, in 2019, the New York Metropolitan Museum abandoned its voluntary contribution system to adopt a fixed rate of $ 30. However, New York residents and Connecticut and New Jersey students can still enjoy “free prices” access. The natural history museum has followed a similar approach with an entry ticket of $ 28. These adjustments, however, had no major impact on the influx of international tourists, even if it remains less important than in the Louvre.
Some emblematic destinations also apply differentiated prices, not to increase income, but to regulate the number of visitors. In Angkor Vat, for example, residents of Cambodia benefit from free entry, while foreigners have to pay 37 dollars. Machu Picchu imposes an entry from $ 62 to international tourists, compared to 17 dollars for Peruvians or members of local communities. In Beijing, access to the forbidden city is free for the Chinese, but foreigners must pay the equivalent of 10 euros.
In France, the introduction of differentiated rates would be new. Major tourist places such as Mont-Saint-Michel, the Arc de Triomphe or the Sainte-Chapelle could adopt this measure. It remains to be seen whether these pricing adjustments will discourage visitors from outside Europe. However, museums have understood that in general, the more tourists come from afar, the less sensitive to entry prices.
A new entry for 2031
Among the other announcements concerning the Louvre, Emmanuel Macron spoke of a “new big entrance” to unclog the glass pyramid. It will be funded on “Museum’s own resources” after an international architectural competition. The inauguration will take place “By 2031 at the latest,” said Emmanuel Macron.