Louvre caps daily visitors at 30,000 to improve experience

The Louvre Museum in Paris has implemented a daily visitor cap of 30,000, effective June 2022, to ensure a comfortable visit and optimal working conditions for staff. The measure was introduced quietly as pandemic restrictions eased. Despite the cap, the museum welcomed 7.8 million visitors in 2022, a 170% increase from 2021, though still 19% below pre-pandemic 2019 levels. President-director Laurence des Cars emphasized prioritizing quality over quantity, noting that 60% of visitors are first-timers. The museum now requires timed-entry reservations to manage flow. Of 2022 visitors, 70% were international: 18% from the US, 8% from Italy, 8% from Germany, 6% from the UK, and 5% from Spain; Asian tourists were nearly absent. French visitors made up 30%, with over 60% from Île-de-France. Notably, 45% of all visitors were under 25, and 225,000 attended night openings.