Popular cities and attractions in Europe are buckling under the weight of overtourism right now, with world-famous landmarks like the Acropolis and entire historic cities such as Venice introducing entry fees and visitor number caps to manage high visitor numbers.
But on Monday June 16, the Louvre – one of the most famous venues not only in France but on the planet – was suddenly closed due to staff demonstrations. In a routine internal meeting, gallery attendants, ticket agents and security staff refused to begin work due to their ‘untenable’ working conditions, according to CNN. So, we’ve rounded up everything you need to know about the strikes at the Louvre, when it is set to reopen, and what to do if you have a ticket booked to visit.
Recommended: Can popular European cities ever recover from overtourism?
Why are Louvre staff going on strike?
Working at the Louvre has been described as a ‘daily test of endurance’, and in 2024, the Louvre welcomed a staggering 8.7 million people, which is more than double what the building’s infrastructure was designed to accommodate.
You might remember that earlier this year a major overhaul of the Louvre was announced by French President Emmanual Macron, dubbed the ‘Louvre Nouvelle Renaissance’. It includes plans for a new entrance (interestingly, to up annual visitor numbers to 12 million), and a shiny new home for the Mona Lisa.
While this is still going ahead, team members at the Louvre say that the institution is essentially already crumbling from within. ‘We can’t wait six years for help,’ said Sarah Sefian of the CGT-Culture union. ‘Our teams are under pressure now. It’s not just about the art — it’s about the people protecting it.’
Reasons cited for staff not taking up their posts yesterday include ‘unmanageable crowds, chronic understaffing’ and what was apparently described by one union as ‘untenable’ working conditions.
There’s a daily cap on visitors of 30,000, but staff say the building lacks rest areas, enough bathrooms, and suffers from a greenhouse effect due to the pyramid structure, which leads to extreme heat fluctuations and has the potential to damage art.
What’s more, Louvre President Laurence des Cars warned that parts of the building are no longer water-tight in a leaked memo, and a week before the renovation plan was announced, museum leadership had allegedly reached out to the government for help, reported USA Today.
How long is the strike expected to last?
The Louvre routinely closes on Tuesdays, so the fact its doors aren’t open today is not the result of the strike. However, it’s possible the museum will return to normal opening hours tomorrow, on Wednesday June 18.
What to do if you bought a ticket
According to ABC News, it’s possible that visitors with time-sensitive tickets for Monday will be able to use them tomorrow. Your best bet is to regularly check the website, social media feeds and local news for updates on its status.
Overtourism protests sweeping Europe
Over the weekend, thousands of protestors took to the streets across Spain, Italy and Portugal to demonstrate against the detrimental impact that tourism is having on their livelihoods. Protestors reportedly fired water pistols and set off smoke grenades in Barcelona, and signs demanded that governments rethink their tourism models.
‘People who go on vacation to one place or another are not our enemies, nor are they the target of our actions,’ said Asier Basurto, a member of the ‘tourism degrowth’ platform, to the Guardian. ‘Let me be clear: our enemies are those who speculate on housing, who exploit workers and those who are profiting handsomely from the touristification of our cities.’
Take a look at our deep-dive into whether popular European cities can ever recover from overtourism, and how to be a better tourist in these inundated hubs right now.
Oh, and why not browse our guide on the five amazing countries that actually need tourism right now, brush up on our tips on how to be a more sustainable traveller, and check out the world’s best sustainable tourism destinations?
Did you see these five quiet, beautiful European islands have avoided overtourism?
Plus: Forget Spain – I went to Sweden and found the ideal summer holiday destination.
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