French police are cracking down on the sale of forged tickets at the Louvre. Photo: AP

Two arrested in France over forged Louvre tickets

Dozens of tourists have been caught trying to use forged tickets at the museum

Published: 9:57am, 19 Sep 2013

Two Chinese citizens have been arrested in Paris over the sale of forged tickets for France’s premier tourist attraction, the Louvre Museum.

The pair were caught selling tickets to Chinese tourists outside the museum in the centre of Paris on Sunday, the local reported on Wednesday. One of them was caught with about one hundred tickets.

On August 19, Belgian customs police seized 3,600 forged Louvre tickets sent in a parcel from China to an address in Paris’ southeastern 15th arrondissement. Dozens of tourists have also been caught trying to use forged tickets at the museum over the last month.

A combined ticket for the Louvre’s permanent collections and temporary exhibitions costs €16 (HK$134).

Chinese authorities are taking the case seriously after a series of embarrassing gaffes by Chinese tourists attracted global attention.

Chinese, French and Belgian police were co-operating in the case, the reported on Thursday. The China National Tourism Administration issued an “urgent notice” on Thursday to all of its local offices warning them not to buy forged tickets. The notice said several Chinese tour guides have been taken away by French police for questioning over forged tickets.

Last year 83 million Chinese tourists travelled around the world, 18.4 per cent more than in the previous year, according to the China National Tourism Administration.

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