PARIS - AUGUST 24: Tourists admire the famous Leonardo Da Vinci painting " The Mona Lisa" in the Grande Galerie of the Louvre museum on August 24, 2005 in Paris, France.
In an official release by the Louvre Museum, home to the "Mona Lisa," it announced that it would increase the basic admission price of its tickets from €17 ($18.30) to €22 ($23.70) this coming January 15, an overall 29% price hike.
That said, the institution is continuing its free admission initiative which is available to Louvre members, whose membership costs from €80 (for solo cards) to €120 (for partner cards); to residents of areas within the jurisdiction of the European Union, aged 18 to 25; to artists who are affiliated with the Maison des Artistes, or International Association of Art; and finally, it is also available to disabled visitors.
The Louvre, with an estimated 7.5 million to 8.5 million visitors in 2023, has directly cited the funding for this free admission initiative as the core reason behind the price increase, along with coming up with resources to answer energy costs. However, this price hike follows the current trend within Paris that is brought about by the upcoming iteration of the Olympics.
The Price Hike Trend in France Following the 2023 Olympics
The 2023 Summer Olympics will be hosted by Paris from July 26 until Aug. 11, along with France's first-ever hosting of the Paralympics events between Aug. 28 to Sept. 8 of next year, projected to raise the prices within France's capital.
For one, tickets for a ride at the Metro will almost double in cost during the games, from €2.10 to €4 ($4.30). According to a report by the New York Times, this fare increase is done to fund the increased rail trips the Metro will be employing in order to meet the increased demands amidst the games.
In addition to that, hotel costs within Paris are also expected to be bumped up, as reported by the French publication Le Monde. This means visitors to Paris during the Olympics will have to cough up around €400 ($430) to €600 ($646) a night, which is almost three-fold at the higher range of the usual rates of €80 ($86) to €200 ($215).
