Troubled Louvre turns to tourists
Louvre Museum is confronting simultaneous security, structural and financial pressures after last month's €95-million jewel heist exposed vulnerabilities that have since deepened into a broader institutional crisis.
The museum, already struggling with ageing infrastructure and rising operational demands, is now rolling out sweeping measures ranging from ticket price hikes to major surveillance upgrades.
The museum confirmed that visitors from outside the EU or European Economic Area will face a 45% ticket increase from January 14, with the price rising to €32. Officials said the change is expected to generate an additional €15-20 million annually.
The hike will help fund an extensive renovation programme and bolster security systems following the audacious October 19 robbery. Nearly 9 million people visited the Louvre last year – almost three-quarters of them were foreigners.
Concerns over the museum's readiness intensified when four burglars used a movers' lift to reach a second-floor balcony, smashed a window, cut open display cases with angle grinders and escaped with French crown jewels in less than seven minutes.
The gems, valued at $102 million, have not been recovered despite multiple arrests. Police initially detained four suspects in late October and early November, before another four were arrested last week.
The heist also revealed lapses in external surveillance. Museum director Laurence des Cars told lawmakers that the Louvre will install 100 new external cameras by the end of 2026 and establish an "advanced police station" on its premises to tighten coordination with Paris authorities.
French officials earlier pledged additional anti-intrusion devices and anti-ramming barriers around the site by year's end after admitting to blind spots in camera coverage on the affected facade.
Structural problems have meanwhile added to the pressure on management. A technical report this month found serious weaknesses in beams supporting the Sully wing, forcing the closure of the Campana gallery and the relocation of 65 staff members whose offices were deemed unsafe.
The gallery sits next to the Apollo room, which houses the crown jewels targeted in the heist. Union representative Valerie Baud said staff had long warned of deteriorating conditions but had not anticipated the severity of the risk.
A recent audit by France's Cour des Comptes criticised the museum for prioritising art acquisitions and post-pandemic public programmes over essential security and infrastructure needs.
Other major French cultural sites, including the Palace of Versailles, Sainte-Chapelle, the Paris Opera House and Chambord Cheteau, are expected to raise their own ticket prices next year as institutions grapple with similar financial strains.