The investigation established that the guides repeatedly used the same tickets and divided large groups of tourists into smaller ones to avoid additional costs for tour accompaniment, which varies from 20 to 90 euros depending on the size of the group.
As a result of more than a year of investigation, an organized scheme was uncovered, whereby participants could conduct up to 20 groups of tourists a day for nearly ten years. Arrested museum staff are believed to have participated in this scheme, turning a blind eye to the violations for a reward.
According to the prosecutor's office, the funds obtained from the fraudulent scheme were invested in real estate both in France and in Dubai. During searches, the police seized nearly 1 million euros in cash and about 500,000 euros in bank accounts.
The prosecutor's office also noted that similar schemes may have been used in Versailles, although details are not yet disclosed.
Since the beginning of January 2026, the price of an individual ticket to the Louvre is 22 euros for citizens and residents of the European Union and 32 euros for other visitors. A group ticket costs 28 euros.
In recent months, the Louvre, the most visited museum in the world, has faced a number of difficulties. In October 2025, jewelry worth about 88 million euros was stolen from the museum. Despite the arrest of several suspects, the whereabouts of the stolen valuables remain unknown. As a result of this incident, the museum was temporarily closed to visitors.
