Louvre Attendance to Approach 10m in 2012

The news that Henri Loyrette is stepping down from the helm of the Louvre contains this astounding number:

The director of the Musée du Louvre, Paris, Henri Loyrette, has announced that he will leave the museum next April after 12 years in the post. “Loyrette has informed the president of France and the minister of culture of his decision not to seek a renewal of his mandate,” the Louvre said in a statement yesterday (17 December), adding that under his tenure, visitor figures are expected to reach a record high of almost ten million visitors by the end of the year (compared to 5.1 million in 2001).

The Director of the Louvre to Step Down (The Art Newspaper)