The Louvre reopens its doors and fears of a attendance, divided by five

After three months of closure, the Louvre will finally open its doors on the 6th of July. The visit to the era of sars Coronavirus will be a new experience for the museum as a tourist. "Until September, at least", the mask will, of course, compulsory from the age of 11. And it will have to come equipped, the museum does not provide to the visitors.

A sense of visiting and circuits recommended (But still optional in case of low turnout) will be offered at the entrance. To contemplate The mona lisa, it will now by the Great Gallery and you will come out on the other side of the hall of the States, by the salle Denon. In front of the table, the number of poles and coils has been doubled, in order to allow visitors to maintain a distance.

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The online booking is strongly recommended, since it alone will guarantee the access to the museum (if the museum has not sold 400 tickets in increments of half-hour, the tourists will be able to enter without having booked). Approximately 30% of the rooms will also be closed, including the second floor wings, Sully, and Richelieu which comprise a large share of the paintings of Northern Europe and the collections of france before the Revolution. That the visitors were reassured, however, some 30,000 works distributed on 45,000 square meters will be available, depending on the direction. The nightly are for now cancelled, but free guided tours will be organized throughout the summer.

This is not defeatism, but an observation. We will have at best 20 to 30% of our attendance figures usual during the summer

Jean-Luc Martinez, président du Louvre

"We anticipate 8,000 to 10,000 visitors per day, without being sure of the reach, has admitted to his president-director Jean-Luc Martinez, Tuesday 23 June, during a press conference in a museum in a still desert.This is not defeatism, but an observation. We will have at best 20 to 30% of our attendance figures usual during the summer."

During this period, the rooms of the museum, until then, the busiest in the world, with 10 million visitors, including 75% foreigners, should become more fluid - which is a good news for the French, and especially Parisians. For them, and the few Europeans who should come to Paris in August, that is the end of long queues in front of the pyramid, the crowds in front of the crates, and then in front of The mona lisa. "This health crisis is the opportunity for us to regain an audience of close to", judge Jean-Luc Martinez.

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June 23, only 12,000 people had booked a tour slot for the month of July and almost no preservation had been made for the month of August. The figure of 12,000 will appear fabulous to many small museums. For the Louvre, which received up to 40,000 visitors per day in the summer, it confirms, if need be, the huge uncertainty in which the museum is located.

The support of the State

The Louvre, as Paris, does not expect to return to normal before three years. In its long history, the institution has already experienced ups and downs, including a dramatic drop in attendance after the attacks of September 11, 2001 or those of 2015 and 2016. Each time, the Americans, the first foreign audience to the museum, or the school, eventually returned.

The pandemic, this time being world, the uncertainty is much higher. The museum has already lost 40 million euros from the containment, in the absence of visitors, but also from privatisations or revenues in the shops and restaurants. There is no question of calling into question a model based on mass tourism, and the culture and the Louvre held a large share.

"A great museum is meant to be shared and visited. I don't see why we would prohibit the Indians or Chinese to return, one day, discover our collections," says the president. For the time being, the museum will have to rely on the State, its main source of funds: 90 million euros per year, to be able to continue. Until when? Tomorrow is another day...

The editorial team conseilleMazarin comes back to haunt the LouvreJean-Luc Martinez: "At the Louvre, we expect about 30% attendance"The Louvre virtual acclaimed by more than 10 million visits in 71 joursSujetsLe LouvreCoronavirusMuséeLa Joconde1 commentaireSergio Island 24/06/2020 17:09

Why does it take so long to reopen the Louvre ?

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