An estimated 80 per cent of the Louvre's 9 million yearly visitors come for the Mona Lisa. Read more at straitstimes.com.

French President Emmanuel Macron compared the facelift to the rebuilding of the Notre Dame cathedral, which is still ongoing six years later.

The iconic Louvre in Paris is no stranger to crowds. Since first opening in 1793, the museum has played host to millions of guests and undergone dozens of expansions and renovations to accommodate them. Today, though, overtourism has brought the historic site to a breaking point.