'Da Vinci Code' boost for Louvre

PARIS, France (AP) -- The Louvre Museum in Paris had a record number of visitors in 2005, with successful soirees for young people, crowd-pleasing exhibitions and promotion from "The Da Vinci Code," a top administrator said Tuesday. About 7.3 million people visited the art museum in 2005, up from 6.7 million in 2004 -- the previous record -- general administrator Didier Selles told The Associated Press. Definitive 2005 figures are expected in coming weeks. Selles said Dan Brown's mystical thriller "The Da Vinci Code" was in part responsible for drawing fans to the Louvre, though likely "not in gigantic proportions." Some travel companies offer Da Vinci code tours that make stops at the Louvre. [More]