The Louvre Museum welcomed 8.1 million visitors in 2017

PARIS – The Louvre Museum says it welcomed 8.1 million visitors in 2017, up 10 per cent on the year before, a sign of tourism revival in Paris.

Tourism in the French capital took a hit in 2016 after a series of attacks by Islamic extremists the previous year.

Foreign visitors represent 70 per cent of the museum attendance, a statement from the Louvre Museum said Monday.

They mainly come from the United States (1.2 million visitors, up by 25 per cent) and from China (700,000 visitors, up by 9 per cent).

The Louvre is the world’s most-visited museum.

Definitive figures of tourist numbers in Paris have not been released yet for 2017 but a rise of 10 to 12 per cent is expected, according to the Paris tourist office, based on hotel reservations.