French museum fare hikes for non-European tourists spark outcry

"From Wednesday, any adult visitor from outside the European Union, Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway will have to pay 32 euros to enter the Louvre - a 45-percent increase - while the Palace of Versailles will up its prices by 3. Americans, UK citizens and Chinese nationals, who are some of the museum's most numerous foreign visitors, will be among those affected, as will tourists from poorer countries."

"Both the Louvre and Versailles have confirmed that non-EU citizens who are resident in France or another EU country can benefit from the EU price, upon production of a residency card such as a carte de sejour. It is believed that this policy will also apply to other attractions that opt for higher prices for non-EU visitors, but The Local has requested confirmation from the Culture Ministry on this point."

"Trade unions at the Louvre have denounced the policy as "shocking philosophically, socially and on a human level" and have called for strike action over the change, along with a raft of other complaints. They argue that the museum's vast collection of 500,000 items, including many from Egypt, the Middle East or Africa, hold universal human value. While rejecting discriminatory pricing on principle, they are also worried for practical reasons, as staff will now need to check visitors' identity papers."

From Wednesday, adult visitors from outside the European Union, Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway must pay 32 euros to enter the Louvre, a 45% increase. The Palace of Versailles will raise prices for non-EU visitors by 3 euros. Non-EU citizens resident in France or another EU country can present a residency card such as a carte de sejour to receive the EU price. The policy may be adopted by other attractions pending Culture Ministry confirmation. Louvre trade unions condemned the change as "shocking philosophically, socially and on a human level" and called for strike action, citing universal value of collections and practical concerns over identity checks. French academic Patrick Poncet compared the measure to recent US National Parks price hikes.

Read at www.thelocal.fr