World's most famous museum closes as over tourism overwhelms staff — Louvre shutdown sparks global alarm

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The most-visited museum in the world, Louvre Museum in Paris, shut down on Monday because its staff went on strike. The strike happened suddenly during an internal meeting. Staff like gallery attendants, ticket agents, and security refused to work.The reason according to the workers is they are overwhelmed by huge crowds, not enough staff, and working in bad conditions. Tourists were stuck outside, confused, and holding tickets in long lines under the museum's glass pyramid, as stated by an Associated Press report.This strike shows how mass tourism is becoming too much, not just in the Louvre, but also in other popular places like Venice and the Acropolis, where crowd control measures are also being taken. At the Louvre, the staff say their working conditions are 'untenable', which means they can't take it anymore, as per reports.The French President Emmanuel Macron recently announced a 10-year plan to fix the Louvre's problems, things like water leaks, poor air conditioning, old buildings, and too many visitors. But the workers say they can't wait 6 years for help. 'It's not just about the art, it's about the people protecting it,' said Sarah Sefian from the CGT-Culture union, according to the report by Associated Press.A big issue is the Mona Lisa. About 20,000 people squeeze into one room daily just to see it and take selfies. The room is overcrowded and noisy. Macron's renovation plan, called 'Louvre New Renaissance', includes a special room for the Mona Lisa with time-based entry, and a new entrance near the Seine River to reduce crowding at the main pyramid. Macron said the new Mona Lisa display will be 'what she deserves', according to the report by Associated Press.But workers call Macron hypocritical, because while he promotes new fancy projects, the Louvre's basic funding has gone down by over 20% in 10 years, even as visitors increased. 'He makes speeches in our museum, but the state gives less money every year,' said Sefian. In 2023, the Louvre had 8.7 million visitors, double what the museum was built to handle, as per the reports.Even though there's a daily cap of 30,000 visitors, staff say it's still exhausting, few rest areas, limited toilets, and hot temperatures under the glass pyramid. In a leaked memo, Louvre President Laurence des Cars said, some parts of the building are not waterproof. Temperature swings can damage artworks. Basic needs like food, toilets, and signs are below global standards, She called the visitor experience a 'physical ordeal', as per the report by Associated Press.What started as a normal info meeting turned into a big protest by staff. Talks with management went on all day. The renovation plan will be funded by a mix of ticket sales, private donations, government funds, licensing money from Louvre Abu Dhabi.Workers say their needs are urgent and can't wait for a 10-year plan. The Louvre is stuck, not fully fixed and not fully funded. But for now, France's greatest museum and the millions of people who visit it are stuck in a situation that no one knows how to fix quickly, as per the Associated Press.The Louvre Museum closed because the staff went on strike.A 10-year plan promises repairs and better crowd control.