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The Louvre museum in Paris has approved a significant ticket price increase for non-European Union visitors, raising the cost from €22 to €32 (£19 to £28), effective from 14 January.
The €10 hike aims to finance a comprehensive overhaul of the historic building, after its degradation was starkly exposed by the 19 October crown jewels heist.
The measure forms part of a decade-long renovation and expansion plan, announced earlier this year by French President Emmanuel Macron.
Security breaches, including the €88 million theft, underscored the urgency.
The Louvre’s governing board approved the increase on Thursday.
Nationals from Iceland, Liechtenstein, and Norway, as European Economic Area signatories, will be exempt.
Nearly 9 milion people visited the Louvre in 2024 (Getty Images)
In 2024, the Louvre welcomed 8.7 million visitors, 77 per cent of whom were foreign.
Top nationalities included the United States (13 per cent), China (6 per cent), and Britain (5 per cent), all of whom are affected by the hike.
Earlier this month, Louvre director Laurence des Cars announced more than 20 emergency measures have started being implemented following the robbery. She said the museum’s latest overhaul in the 1980s is now technically obsolete.
The cost for the so-called “Louvre New Renaissance” plan is estimated at up to €800 million to modernise infrastructure, ease crowding and give the famed Mona Lisa a dedicated gallery by 2031.
On 19 October, thieves forces their way through a window into the Apollo Gallery with the help of a freight lift, using power tools to cut display cases and leave with the loot on scooters in less than eight minutes.
On Tuesday, the Paris prosecutor announced four more arrests in connection with the heist.
A spokesperson said the suspects are two men aged 38 and 39 and two women aged 31 and 40.
Police can hold the two men and two women for questioning until Saturday before a judge decides whether to press preliminary charges.
Four other people were already arrested and placed under formal investigation on 29 October and 1 November, the statement added.