Beyonce helps Louvre break visitor record

Tourists use a selfie stick in front of the Louvre Pyramide in Paris Credit: Remy de la Mauviniere/AP

The Louvre in Paris received a record 10.2 million visitors in 2018, boosted by a video clip shot by pop star Beyonce amid its paintings and sculptures.

The world’s most visited museum also mentioned in a statement the success of its flagship exhibition on French master Delacroix as a reason for the record.

The video of Beyonce and her husband Jay-Z, featuring the Mona Lisa and other world-famous artworks, has been viewed more than 146 million times on YouTube.

The museum noted a significant rise in the number of foreign visitors – almost three-quarters of total visitor numbers – mostly from the United States, China, other European countries and Brazil.

Tourism in the French capital has rebounded since 2017 after a sharp fall following terror attacks in 2015.