Reactions to France’s museum price hike for non-EU visitors

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.

This news has sparked a lot of controversy. 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.

While rejecting discriminatory pricing on principle, they are also worried for practical reasons, as staff will now need to check visitors’ passports or ID cards.

The French Culture Ministry clarified that non-EU citizens who live in France will not be affected by the higher ticket prices. Visitors with a carte de séjour can book tickets online at the EU rate and show their documentation upon entry.

READ ALSO: French museum fare hikes for non-European tourists spark outcry

The Local asked readers their views on how what they thought about the price hike and how this will affect their visits to French museums – the results revealed a fairly even split of views.

Of the people who responded, slightly more than half disagreed with the changes, while the rest supported the idea.

Many who responded were not personally affected by the change as they have either EU citizenship or EU residency, but of those who are, only 20 percent said that it would make them less likely to visit French museums.

Barbara Edmonds, a France resident, was one who supports the changes, saying that the additional fees will help fund “the maintenance of these sites.”

The French government has justified the price hike on financial grounds, aiming to raise €20-30 million annually amid spending cuts and revenue pressures. Some of this revenue will contribute to a major renovation of the Louvre, announced last year by President Emmanuel Macron.

Local residents echoed similar views. David O’Brian, living in Paris, argued that “it is only fair that those who are not contributing to those subsidies should pay more. Non-EU citizens may only visit once a decade at most, whereas EU visitors will visit more frequently.”

John, a resident of Toulouse, highlighted the principle of reciprocity, noting that “the US also charges more now.”

French academic Patrick Poncet drew a parallel between France’s move and the policies of US President Donald Trump, whose administration hiked the cost for foreign tourists of visiting US National Parks by $100 on January 1st.

Timothy Holst from New York summarised this viewpoint: “European cultural institutions belong to Europe. It’s not unreasonable to require tourists from outside Europe to contribute to maintaining the institutions they come to visit.”

READ ALSO: Explained: France’s new museum prices for tourists and residents

But not everyone agrees with the price hike, some describe it as “discriminatory” and warn it could discourage tourism.

Trade unions at the Louvre argue that the museum’s vast collection of 500,000 items, including many from Egypt, the Middle East or Africa, hold universal human value.

Helen Bambrough from Manchester, agrees “contents of museums come from all over the world. Viewing helps understand different cultures and their history and may promote international understanding – high prices discriminate against less well off, which prevents the development of common culture”.

Liz Hurst, a French resident not directly affected by the increase, said: “With the rise of far-right politics around the globe, this feels a bit like thinly veiled racism, discrimination against ‘other.’

“For a country that prides itself on égalité (equal rights), it just feels wrong. A better solution would be to raise prices generally; I can’t believe how cheap it is to visit some of France’s museums.”

Others argue that if non-EU visitors pay more, locals should also bear some of the increased cost. Amanda Hawkny, a France resident, commented: “If the stated goal is to preserve French heritage, then any increases in maintenance costs should be borne by the French.”

Some readers expressed concerns about enforcement and practicalities, such as uploading a carte de séjour when purchasing tickets online. The Culture Ministry confirmed that visitors with valid residency documentation can select EU pricing online and present their carte de séjour at the museum entrance.

The changes have, at present, been confirmed only by three sites; the Louvre, Versailles and the Chateau de Chambord. However the law change allows all France’s state-owned museums and tourist attractions to do the same, so more could follow.

French museums do allow free entry to a wide variety of visitors, from children, young people and students to journalists, teachers and refugees – full details here.

Thank you to everyone who responded to this survey and shared their thoughts.