Louvre imposing 45% price hike on non-EU tourists: Here's why

Art lovers from the U.S., China, and the UK can expect a price hike if they wish to visit Mona Lisa’s subtle smile, starting from next year.

The Louvre museum has announced a price hike starting from next year by 45% for non-European visitors.

From January 14, 2026, citizens hailing from outside the European Economic Area (EEA, which includes EU member states, Iceland, Liechtenstein, and Norway) will have to pay an extra €32 ($34.24) to visit the world’s most visited museum, which is €10 ($10.70) more than the current admission price.

The price hike was approved by the Louvre’s board of directors.

This hike will have a direct impact on the Americans, who account for the largest group of foreign tourists, but also similarly on the Chinese visitors, who rank third, as per the details issued by the museum’s 2024 activity report.

The Louvre museum had been visited by over 8.7 million tourists last year, 69% of whom were from outside of France.

The price hike targets to generate up to €20 million ($21.4 million) annually to tackle what the authorities termed as “structural problems” and fund revamp efforts of the world’s most visited art museum, which is struggling from the daylight robbery of priceless treasures last month.

On October 19, a four-person gang robbed the Louvre, taking only 10 minutes to steal jewelry worth an estimated €88 million ($102 million) before making their escape on scooters.

According to the official probe, which found major security flaws and revealed the museum had prioritized acquiring new art over funding maintenance and restoration.