Non-European visitors to come up with funds to fix Louvre's security shortcomings

France’s world-famous Louvre museum is still reeling from the brazen daylight jewellery theft carried out during opening hours. As the search for the perpetrators and the stolen treasures continues, museum officials are rushing to rethink security and patch the vulnerabilities that allowed the heist to take place. Although new measures — including dozens of additional cameras — have already been introduced, the Louvre’s latest announcement suggests its plan to address budget gaps is to bill its non-EU visitors with these costs.

The Paris museum will raise ticket prices for most non-EU travellers starting in January 2026, requiring tourists from countries such as the United States, Britain, China and Azerbaijan to pay €32, France24 reported.

The 45% increase in entrance fees is expected to boost annual revenue by up to $23 million, which the museum told French outlets would be used to finance structural upgrades.

The article cites a 2024 report published by the Louvre, according to which approx. 8.7 million people visited the museum that year. Foreigners made up 69% of attendees, with Americans, Chinese and Britons forming the largest groups — all of whom will be subject to the new price hike.

The report also noted that 23% of visitors were French citizens, 65% of whom qualified for free admission under the museum’s rules.

Tourists from Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway will be exempt from the higher rate and will continue to pay the EU price of €22.

Security concerns long pre-dated the high-profile theft. A Court of Auditors report compiled before the heist found that management had for years prioritised acquisitions and exhibitions over routine maintenance and security, the BBC reported.

Covering the period from 2018 to 2024, the report stated that the Louvre had “favoured operations that were visible and attractive at the expense of maintenance and renovation of technical installations, notably in the fields of safety and security.”

During that period, the museum spent €105.4 million on new artworks and €63.5 million on exhibition spaces. By contrast, only €26.7 million went to maintenance and €59.5 million to restoring the palace building. The findings align with other criticisms, including remarks from Culture Minister Rachida Dati, who said that museum managers had “grossly underestimated” the risk of intrusions.

Didier Rykner, one of France’s leading art experts, has similarly accused the museum of choosing to dedicate its “abundant” resources to attention-grabbing projects rather than to the basic protection of its existing collection.

By Nazrin Sadigova