ISLAMABAD: The Louvre Museum in Paris, the world’s most visited cultural site, was forced to close its doors on Monday after staff launched a spontaneous strike to protest overwhelming tourist numbers and deteriorating working conditions.
The strike left thousands of visitors stranded outside the museum, many of them holding pre-booked tickets, as employees refused to take up their posts.
The protest was triggered during a scheduled internal meeting where staff raised concerns about safety, overcrowding, and insufficient resources to manage the daily influx of visitors.
This rare shutdown comes just after the Louvre recorded 8.7 million visitors in 2024, far exceeding the museum’s structural capacity.
Louvre Overloaded by Global Tourism Surge
At the center of the unrest is what many staff members describe as an “untenable” work environment.
With nearly 30,000 people entering daily — most to see the Mona Lisa — the museum has become a symbol of global overtourism.
Staff say the overcrowding has turned the visitor experience into a chaotic and exhausting ordeal, with long lines, intense heat, and insufficient amenities such as restrooms and rest areas.
The museum’s management has already capped visitor entries, but employees argue that infrastructure upgrades and staffing levels have failed to keep pace with the influx.
Staff Demand Immediate Government Action
Though President Emmanuel Macron has announced a €700–800 million renovation plan to modernize the Louvre by 2031 — including a separate hall for the Mona Lisa and a new visitor entrance — museum workers claim they cannot wait years for relief.
They demand immediate increases in state funding, better staff-to-visitor ratios, and more attention to museum preservation needs.
A leaked internal memo described structural decay and temperature fluctuations that could put priceless artworks at risk.
With no official reopening date announced, tourists with time-sensitive tickets may only receive limited access to select exhibits like the Venus de Milo and the Mona Lisa on a rotating basis.
The museum will remain fully closed on Tuesday, adding to growing frustration among global tourists.
