The Louvre raises ticket prices for non-Europeans, hitting Canadian tourists
A trip to the world’s most visited museum is about to cost more for Canadians.
France has raised Louvre ticket prices by 45 percent for visitors from outside the European Union, a move fueling the debate over so-called double pricing and a growing backlash against overtourism.
Starting this week, adult visitors from non-EU countries, including Canada, must pay €32 to enter the Paris landmark, up from €22. That’s an increase from about $35 to $52 Canadian.
Visitors from EU countries, as well as Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway, will continue to pay the lower price.
The price hike comes as the Louvre faces repeated labor strikes, the theft of a jewel in broad daylight last October that prompted costly security changes, and years of chronic overcrowding. The museum attracts about nine million visitors a year.
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Some Canadian tourists told Global News they felt misdirected.
“We didn’t cause the robbery or the other problems that happened and we’re paying the consequences,” said Allison Moore, visiting Paris from Newfoundland with her daughter. “[In] In Canada we do not discriminate against such prices.”
Others argue that tourists already bear the high cost of traveling long distances.
“In general for tourists, I think things should be a little cheaper than the locals, because we have to travel to get here,” said Darla Daniela Quiroz, another Canadian tourist. “It should be the same price, or a little cheaper.”
Even some Europeans are skeptical of the two-tier system. A French tourist interviewed outside the museum said there was “no reason” to charge non-Europeans more and that the fee should be the same for everyone.
Tourism experts say financial pressure on the Louvre helps explain the decision.
“The Louvre really has money now and needs to do something,” said Marion Joppe, a professor at the University of Guelph. “It will not go to the government, which is already struggling with its budget.”
The move also reflects a broader global backlash against mass tourism. Anti-tourism protests have spread across Spain, New Zealand has raised entry taxes, and the United States recently raised national park fees for foreign visitors.
“You take Paris – it gets about 50 million tourists a year,” said Julian Karaguesian, an economist at McGill University. That’s about a million a week. The city was not built for those numbers.”
Despite the high price, many visitors say they still come to see the Mona Lisa and other famous works of art in the museum.
“It’s one of the biggest attractions. It’s on everybody’s bucket list,” Moore said. “We still have a long way to go, and hopefully it will be worth it in the end.”
© 2026 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.
