The Mona Lisa

British tourists will have to pay more to see the Mona Lisa in the Louvre.

French President Emmanuel Macron is targeting non-EU visitors to help pay for work at the world’s most visited museum.

For decades the Louvre has been troubled by overcrowding and outdated facilities.

The project – called “Louvre New Renaissance” – is looking for completion in 2031.

There will a “grand new entrance” to the Paris attraction plus a dedicated room for Leonardo Da Vinci’s painting, the Mona Lisa.

Mr Macron said: “We want to effectively give the Parisian Louvre back to Parisians.

However, one member of government told AFP:

“He’s buying himself popularity points on the cheap.”

Louvre security guard Élise Muller, said:

“We work every day in extremely poor conditions in one of the biggest museums in the world, which is in a deplorable state of disrepair.

“On a daily basis, we have a lot of problems with leaks through roofs and broken pipes.

“When there is heavy rain, water run-off sometimes reaches paintings on display.

“We must close off rooms every day. More and more, elevators are also out of order.”

“It’s not unusual for us to make emergency calls to conservationists so that they can take artworks down.”

More than eight million people visit the Louvre each year.

Three quarters of them are from overseas.