“Koreans must pay 55,000 won more”... Louvre raises admission fees for non-Europeans by 45%

[Financial News] From now on, non-Europeans, including Koreans, will have to pay higher admission fees than Europeans to enter the Louvre Museum in Paris, France. As the Louvre Museum raised ticket prices for visitors from outside Europe starting on the 14th, controversy has erupted over discrimination stemming from this “dual pricing policy.”
On the 13th (local time), foreign media including Agence France-Presse (AFP) reported that, starting that day, the Louvre Museum would charge adult visitors from regions other than the European Union (EU), Iceland, Liechtenstein, and Norway an admission fee of 32 euros (about 55,000 won), a 45% increase.
There are also growing concerns that this kind of two-tier pricing system could spark discrimination debates. In addition, it has been pointed out that practical problems will arise, such as Louvre Museum staff having to check each visitor’s ID one by one.
The Louvre Museum Workers' Union denounced the dual pricing policy as “shocking from philosophical, social, and humanitarian perspectives,” voiced its opposition, and called for a strike.
French geographer Patrick Poncet also criticized the Louvre Museum’s policy in an opinion piece published in Le Monde on the 1st, likening it to the policy of the administration of former U.S. President Donald Trump, which raised national park entrance fees for foreign tourists by 100 dollars, and calling it “a blatant return to nationalism.”
Despite the criticism, the Government of France appears likely to stick with the dual pricing policy.
Facing fiscal difficulties, the Government of France explained the introduction of the two-tier pricing system by saying, “French citizens are not obliged to shoulder everything alone,” and added that it expects to generate an additional 20 million to 30 million euros (about 34.1432 billion to 51.2148 billion won) in annual revenue. It also stated that part of the proceeds will be allocated to a large-scale renovation project for the Louvre Museum.
Along with the Louvre Museum, the Palace of Versailles has also decided to charge visitors from outside Europe higher admission fees than Europeans. During the peak season (April 1 to October 30), non-European visitors will pay 35 euros (59,000 won), and during the off-season, 25 euros (42,000 won), which is 3 euros more in each case.
Based on last year’s visitor numbers, the Palace of Versailles expects to generate an additional 9.3 million euros (about 16 billion won) in annual revenue.
The Château de Chambord, a representative castle in the Loire Valley châteaux region, and Sainte-Chapelle in Paris have also raised admission fees for non-European visitors.
y27k@fnnews.com Seo Yoon-kyung Reporter