British tourists will have to pay more to enter the Louvre in Paris under new plans announced by French president Emmanuel Macron at the museum.
Mr Macron said that non-EU visitors will pay a higher entrance fee to visit the Louvre, the world's most-visited museum, which is plagued by overcrowding and outdated facilities.
The Mona Lisa will also be given its own dedicated room as part of a major renovation of the world’s most famous art gallery.
Brand new underground rooms and a new entrance near the River Seine will be part of the gallery’s overhaul, which is expected to take years to complete, Mr Macron said from the room where Leonardo da Vinci’s masterpiece is displayed.
The renovation is expected to cost hundreds of millions of euros. Mr Macron did not disclose the cost
Mr Macron’s speech came after Louvre director Laurence des Cars recently expressed his concern regarding the “very poor condition” of the museum’s spaces, with reports of water leaks, temperature variations and other issues “endangering the preservation of artworks”.
The latest overhaul, which dates back to the 1980s when the iconic glass pyramid was unveiled, now appears outdated, Ms des Cars said in the note to culture minister Rachida Dati, seen by Le Parisien.
Insulation in the building is poor, the director stressed, and the building tends to amplify noise, making it an uncomfortable space for the public and staff. There is also a notable lack of food offerings and bathrooms, she added.
An official at the French presidency, who could not be named due to customary practices, said: "We’re faced with a collective challenge. That is, how can we adapt the Louvre to expectations, welcome visitors from across the world in comfortable conditions and also be leading a commitment for artistic and cultural education?"
Ms des Cars asked for the issue of Mona Lisa’s display to be “reassessed”, proposing a relocation of the attraction to its own dedicated room.
It is currently shown behind protective glass in the museum’s largest room, often overcrowded with tourists looking to take a snap of the painting. Other paintings by great painters, such as Titian and Veronese, go unnoticed as a result.
But Mr Macron declared that the painting would be given a new home with a dedicated entrance in the plans.
Renovation work at the former royal palace is expected to be very costly and technically complicated, but the cost of proposed upgrades has not yet been laid out.
Half of the Louvre’s budget is financed by the French taxpayer, including the wages of the 2,200 employees. The other half is paid for by private income including ticket sales, restaurant and shop earnings, along with patrons and donors - including the United Arab Emirates’ licensing of the brand name for the Louvre Abu Dhabi museum in a special deal with France.
The last major renovation was designed for the Louvre to receive 4 million annual visitors - but the museum received 8.7 million visitors last year, with more than three-quarters being foreign visitors largely from the US, China and neighbouring European countries.
