The Paris Louvre has increased the price of admission tickets for most visitors from non-EU countries. The price for them has risen quite significantly — from 22 to 32 euros. The museum's management explains this by the need to strengthen its financial position amidst strikes, overcrowding, and other problems, as well as within the framework of a nationwide policy of differentiated pricing, writes Euronews.
Entrance to the Louvre. Photo: AP Photo / Emma Da Silva
The new system stipulates that those who are not citizens or residents of the EU, as well as Iceland, Liechtenstein, and Norway, will pay more. For organized groups from outside Europe, the cost will be 28 euros, with the number of excursion participants limited to 20 people.
French trade unions sharply criticized this decision, stating that it contradicts the idea of equal access to culture and turns national heritage into a commercial product. Some tourists also expressed dissatisfaction, although others admitted that they are still willing to pay, as the Louvre remains one of Paris's main attractions.
However, some categories of visitors, such as children and teenagers under 18, can still enter the museum for free.
The previous price increase for Louvre tickets occurred in January 2024.
A similar "dual pricing" system is being introduced in other iconic locations in France, including the Palace of Versailles, the Opéra de Paris, and the Sainte-Chapelle reliquary chapel. Authorities and site administrations emphasize that such a practice is already widely used globally.
For example, in Venice, tourists pay a fee for a one-day visit to the city; in Italy, many museums are free for local residents, and in Kenya, foreigners pay significantly more for safaris. Similar measures are in effect in the USA, India, and Japan, although in the latter, cases of increased prices in restaurants for foreigners have drawn strong criticism.
Proponents of two-tiered pricing argue that it helps reduce the burden on infrastructure and ensures more equitable access to cultural and natural heritage for local residents. Critics, however, consider such a practice to be discriminatory and unfair.
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За тридцатку я и с места не сдвинусь.