French Museums Hike Entry Fees for Non-European Visitors

The French museums, including the Louvre, have announced a hike in the entry fee for non-European visitors. According to AFP, any adult visitor from outside the European Union, Iceland, Liechtenstein, and Norway will have to pay 32 euros ($37) from Wednesday to enter the Louvre – a 45% increase – while the Palace of Versailles will up its prices by three euros. This means the Indian visitors who had to previously shell out €22 (Rs2315) will now have to spend €32 (Rs3367). According to CNN, those visiting as part of a group with a guide will have to pay €28 (Rs2946) per person. The announcement was first made by the Louvre management in October last year. CNN quoted a spokesperson saying that the price increases are expected to bring in an extra €15-20 million (around $17-23 million) a year, which will be invested in “modernising and upgrading the Louvre to address structural issues facing the museum". Meanwhile, the price hike has been denounced by trade unions at the Louvre who termed it as “shocking philosophically, socially, and on a human level" and have called for strike action over the change, along with a raft of other complaints. They further said that the policy is worrisome for practical reasons as well, as staff will now need to check visitors’ identity papers. AFP quoted French academic Patrick Poncet saying it is similar to the policies of US President Donald Trump, whose administration hiked the cost for foreign tourists of visiting US National Parks by $100 on January 1. The French policy was “symptomatic of the return, as elsewhere in the world, of unabashed nationalism", Poncet wrote in Le Monde newspaper last month. Besides the Louvre and Palace of Versailles, other state-owned French tourist hotspots such as the Chambord Palace in the Loire region and the national opera house in Paris will also increase their entry fee. According to AFP, the government has justified the increases on financial grounds, looking to raise 20-30 million euros annually at a time when it is under pressure to boost revenues and cut spending. Last year, President Emmanuel Macron had said some of the funds will be spent on renovating the Louvre. He also said the Mona Lisa would be moved to a new space to deal with overcrowding. However, the Louvre will remain free for minors from all countries and Europeans under 26.