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Why the Louvre closed its doors to tourists abruptly
Thousands of tourists were left stranded outside the Louvre in Paris on Monday, as it was forced to shut down. What went wrong? It's staff decided to go on strike read more
Tourists wait in line outside the louvre museum which failed to open on time on June 16. AP
It is the world's most-visited museum, which has capped the number of daily visits to 30,000. But on Monday, as thousands of tourists queued up, the Louvre in Paris abruptly shut down. Many, holding tickets in their hands, were left stranded beneath I M Pei's glass pyramid for the better part of the day. Wonder why. The staff decided to go on strike.
The striking staff included gallery attendants, ticket agents and security personnel, among others, the same people tasked with managing the huge crowds.
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It's rare for the Louvre to close its doors. It has happened during World War I and World War II, during the pandemic and in a handful of strikes, including spontaneous walkouts over overcrowding in 2019, and safety fears in 2013. But seldom has it happened so suddenly, without warning, and in full view of the crowds.
'It's the Mona Lisa moan out here,' said 62-year-old Kevin Ward from Milwaukee, US. 'Thousands of people waiting, no communication, no explanation. I guess even she needs a day off.'
Why is the Louvre staff striking?
The world's most famous museum has become a case study in overtourism. As iconic sites from Venice to the Acropolis urgently address overtourism , the Louvre, frequented by millions, is facing an imminent crisis due to overwhelming crowds.
A spontaneous strike erupted at the Louvre during a routine internal meeting, as gallery attendants, ticket agents, and security personnel immediately refused their posts to protest unmanageable crowds, chronic understaffing and what one union labelled 'untenable' working conditions. Even with daily visitor numbers capped two years ago, the Louvre staff complain that the work has become a constant struggle, marked by too few places to rest, inadequate bathroom facilities, and intense summer heat intensified by the pyramid's glass structure.
The Louvre's strike was preceded by widespread anti-tourism unrest across southern Europe, with thousands rallying in places like Mallorca , Venice and Lisbon a day earlier. Protesters there decried an economic model they believe pushes out residents and degrades urban living. Barcelona activists even resorted to spraying tourists with water pistols, a 'theatrical bid' to symbolically 'cool down' runaway tourism.
What's more, the disruption comes just months after President Emmanuel Macron unveiled a sweeping decade-long plan to rescue the Louvre from precisely the problems now boiling over: water leaks, dangerous temperature swings, outdated infrastructure, and foot traffic far beyond what the museum can handle.
But for workers on the ground, that promised future feels distant.
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'We can't wait six years for help,' said Sarah Sefian, a front-of-house gallery attendant and visitor services agent. 'Our teams are under pressure now. It's not just about the art, it's about the people protecting it.'
Is Mona Lisa to blame?
At the centre of the overcrowding crisis is Leonardo da Vinci's Mona Lisa, which draws the biggest crowds at the Louvre. The 16th-century painting attracts nearly 20,000 people a day, who flock to the museum's largest room, Salle des États, to click a selfie with it.
The scene is often noisy, jostling, and so dense that many barely glance at the masterpieces flanking her, works by Titian and Veronese that go largely ignored. 'You don't see a painting,' said 28-year-old Ji-Hyun Park, who flew from Seoul to Paris. 'You see phones. You see elbows. You feel heat. And then, you're pushed out.'
Can Macron's revamp plan help?
President Macron's 'Louvre New Renaissance' renovation promises a solution, with the iconic Mona Lisa finally receiving her own dedicated, timed-entry room. Additionally, a new entrance near the Seine River is slated for completion by 2031, aiming to alleviate the strain on the existing, overcrowded pyramid hub. 'Conditions of display, explanation and presentation will be up to what the Mona Lisa deserves,' Macron said in January.
Tourists click images of the Mona Lisa at the Louvre Museum in Paris. At least 20,000 people come to see the painting every day. File image/AP
But Louvre workers call Macron hypocritical and say the 700 million to 800 million-euro ($730 million to $834 million) renovation plan masks a deeper crisis. While Macron is investing in new entrances and exhibition space, the Louvre's annual operating subsidies from the French state have shrunk by more than 20 per cent over the past decade, even as visitor numbers soared.
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'We take it very badly that Monsieur Le President makes his speeches here in our museum,' Sefian said, 'but when you scratch the surface, the financial investment of the state is getting worse with each passing year.'
The full renovation plan is expected to be financed through ticket revenue, private donations, state funds and licensing fees from the Louvre's Abu Dhabi branch. Ticket prices for non-EU tourists are expected to rise later this year.
But workers say their needs are more urgent than any 10-year plan.
When will the museum reopen?
The full museum might reopen as normal on Wednesday. Some tourists with time-sensitive tickets might be allowed to reuse them then. The Louvre remains closed on Tuesday.
How does overcrowding affect the Louvre?
Last year, 8.7 million people visited the museum. Shockingly, this is more than the number of people that the museum is designed to accommodate.
Louvre President Laurence des Cars revealed in a leaked memo that the building is 'no longer watertight,' priceless art is endangered by fluctuating temperatures and basic visitor amenities, including food, restrooms and signage, are far below global standards. She simply called the experience a physical ordeal.
Tourists queue up outside the Louvre pyramid. AP
Unlike other major sites in Paris, such as Notre Dame Cathedral or the Centre Pompidou Museum, both of which are undergoing government-backed restorations, the Louvre remains stuck in limbo, neither fully funded nor fully functional.
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President Macron, who delivered his 2017 election victory speech at the Louvre and showcased it during the 2024 Paris Olympics, has promised a safer, more modern museum by the end of the decade.
Until then, France's greatest cultural treasure, and the millions who flock to see it, remain caught between the cracks.
With inputs from AP
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Business Standard
8 hours ago
- Business Standard
Paris's Louvre shuts down as anti-tourism protests spread through Europe
The Louvre Museum, the world's most visited museum in Paris, France, abruptly shut its doors on Monday after staff staged a spontaneous strike over chronic overcrowding, understaffing and crumbling conditions, leaving thousands of ticket-holders locked outside the world's most popular museum. Employees across departments, from security to ticketing, halted work during an internal meeting, citing unmanageable pressures brought on by mass tourism, the Associated Press reported. Many described working conditions as a 'cultural pressure cooker', worsened by government underfunding and unchecked visitor numbers. Mona Lisa gallery overcrowding adds to safety concerns Central to the crisis is the Salle des États, where up to 20,000 visitors a day gather to view the Mona Lisa. Despite a cap of 30,000 total visitors per day, the museum regularly operates over capacity. Staff report heat exhaustion, a lack of basic facilities, and safety risks. All of this is further exacerbated under the glass pyramid designed by IM Pei. An internal memo from Louvre president Laurence des Cars warned that parts of the building are no longer watertight, and temperature fluctuations are placing priceless works at risk. She described the museum as a 'physical ordeal' for both staff and guests. Delayed restoration plan adds to Louvre staff frustration Tensions have mounted just months after President Emmanuel Macron announced a €700–800 million, decade-long restoration scheme dubbed the 'Louvre New Renaissance'. The plan includes a new Mona Lisa gallery and a second entrance near the Seine. But staff say those upgrades will take years, while the daily burden is already unsustainable. While a limited 'masterpieces route', including access to the Mona Lisa and Venus de Milo, may briefly open, a full reopening is not expected until Wednesday. Tuesday closures are standard. Funding cuts and symbolic politics fuel staff grievances Union officials say the strike highlights long-standing neglect. Over the past decade, state funding for Louvre operations has fallen by more than 20 per cent, even as attendance has rebounded post-pandemic. Unlike Notre-Dame or the Centre Pompidou, the Louvre relies heavily on ticket sales, private donors and international licensing, including revenue from the Louvre Abu Dhabi. Staff also criticised Macron for using the museum as a political backdrop, from his 2017 election victory to last year's Olympics, without backing that symbolism with investment. Tourism backlash spreads across southern Europe The walkout comes amid a broader wave of anti-tourism unrest across southern Europe. In cities including Barcelona, Lisbon and Palma de Mallorca, residents staged protests against rising rents, environmental degradation and what they see as the erasure of local life. In Barcelona, demonstrators sprayed tourists with water pistols in a symbolic call to 'cool down' overtourism. Protesters elsewhere carried mock coffins for local culture, blocked tour buses and paraded rolling suitcases through historic centres. However, protesters and workers alike insist that their message is not anti-tourist, but anti-neglect. For the Louvre and cultural landmarks across Europe, the question is no longer how to welcome the world, but how to survive it.
First Post
8 hours ago
- First Post
Why the Louvre closed its doors to tourists abruptly
Thousands of tourists were left stranded outside the Louvre in Paris on Monday, as it was forced to shut down. What went wrong? It's staff decided to go on strike read more Tourists wait in line outside the louvre museum which failed to open on time on June 16. AP It is the world's most-visited museum, which has capped the number of daily visits to 30,000. But on Monday, as thousands of tourists queued up, the Louvre in Paris abruptly shut down. Many, holding tickets in their hands, were left stranded beneath I M Pei's glass pyramid for the better part of the day. Wonder why. The staff decided to go on strike. The striking staff included gallery attendants, ticket agents and security personnel, among others, the same people tasked with managing the huge crowds. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD It's rare for the Louvre to close its doors. It has happened during World War I and World War II, during the pandemic and in a handful of strikes, including spontaneous walkouts over overcrowding in 2019, and safety fears in 2013. But seldom has it happened so suddenly, without warning, and in full view of the crowds. 'It's the Mona Lisa moan out here,' said 62-year-old Kevin Ward from Milwaukee, US. 'Thousands of people waiting, no communication, no explanation. I guess even she needs a day off.' Why is the Louvre staff striking? The world's most famous museum has become a case study in overtourism. As iconic sites from Venice to the Acropolis urgently address overtourism , the Louvre, frequented by millions, is facing an imminent crisis due to overwhelming crowds. A spontaneous strike erupted at the Louvre during a routine internal meeting, as gallery attendants, ticket agents, and security personnel immediately refused their posts to protest unmanageable crowds, chronic understaffing and what one union labelled 'untenable' working conditions. Even with daily visitor numbers capped two years ago, the Louvre staff complain that the work has become a constant struggle, marked by too few places to rest, inadequate bathroom facilities, and intense summer heat intensified by the pyramid's glass structure. The Louvre's strike was preceded by widespread anti-tourism unrest across southern Europe, with thousands rallying in places like Mallorca , Venice and Lisbon a day earlier. Protesters there decried an economic model they believe pushes out residents and degrades urban living. Barcelona activists even resorted to spraying tourists with water pistols, a 'theatrical bid' to symbolically 'cool down' runaway tourism. What's more, the disruption comes just months after President Emmanuel Macron unveiled a sweeping decade-long plan to rescue the Louvre from precisely the problems now boiling over: water leaks, dangerous temperature swings, outdated infrastructure, and foot traffic far beyond what the museum can handle. But for workers on the ground, that promised future feels distant. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD 'We can't wait six years for help,' said Sarah Sefian, a front-of-house gallery attendant and visitor services agent. 'Our teams are under pressure now. It's not just about the art, it's about the people protecting it.' Is Mona Lisa to blame? At the centre of the overcrowding crisis is Leonardo da Vinci's Mona Lisa, which draws the biggest crowds at the Louvre. The 16th-century painting attracts nearly 20,000 people a day, who flock to the museum's largest room, Salle des États, to click a selfie with it. The scene is often noisy, jostling, and so dense that many barely glance at the masterpieces flanking her, works by Titian and Veronese that go largely ignored. 'You don't see a painting,' said 28-year-old Ji-Hyun Park, who flew from Seoul to Paris. 'You see phones. You see elbows. You feel heat. And then, you're pushed out.' Can Macron's revamp plan help? President Macron's 'Louvre New Renaissance' renovation promises a solution, with the iconic Mona Lisa finally receiving her own dedicated, timed-entry room. Additionally, a new entrance near the Seine River is slated for completion by 2031, aiming to alleviate the strain on the existing, overcrowded pyramid hub. 'Conditions of display, explanation and presentation will be up to what the Mona Lisa deserves,' Macron said in January. Tourists click images of the Mona Lisa at the Louvre Museum in Paris. At least 20,000 people come to see the painting every day. File image/AP But Louvre workers call Macron hypocritical and say the 700 million to 800 million-euro ($730 million to $834 million) renovation plan masks a deeper crisis. While Macron is investing in new entrances and exhibition space, the Louvre's annual operating subsidies from the French state have shrunk by more than 20 per cent over the past decade, even as visitor numbers soared. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD 'We take it very badly that Monsieur Le President makes his speeches here in our museum,' Sefian said, 'but when you scratch the surface, the financial investment of the state is getting worse with each passing year.' The full renovation plan is expected to be financed through ticket revenue, private donations, state funds and licensing fees from the Louvre's Abu Dhabi branch. Ticket prices for non-EU tourists are expected to rise later this year. But workers say their needs are more urgent than any 10-year plan. When will the museum reopen? The full museum might reopen as normal on Wednesday. Some tourists with time-sensitive tickets might be allowed to reuse them then. The Louvre remains closed on Tuesday. How does overcrowding affect the Louvre? Last year, 8.7 million people visited the museum. Shockingly, this is more than the number of people that the museum is designed to accommodate. Louvre President Laurence des Cars revealed in a leaked memo that the building is 'no longer watertight,' priceless art is endangered by fluctuating temperatures and basic visitor amenities, including food, restrooms and signage, are far below global standards. She simply called the experience a physical ordeal. Tourists queue up outside the Louvre pyramid. AP Unlike other major sites in Paris, such as Notre Dame Cathedral or the Centre Pompidou Museum, both of which are undergoing government-backed restorations, the Louvre remains stuck in limbo, neither fully funded nor fully functional. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD President Macron, who delivered his 2017 election victory speech at the Louvre and showcased it during the 2024 Paris Olympics, has promised a safer, more modern museum by the end of the decade. Until then, France's greatest cultural treasure, and the millions who flock to see it, remain caught between the cracks. With inputs from AP
Time of India
9 hours ago
- Time of India
How the race for a selfie with Mona Lisa forces the world's largest art museum ‘The Louvre' to shut down
The Louvre in Paris, the most visited art museum in the world and home to the iconic Mona Lisa, was unexpectedly shut down on Monday after staff went on strike. The sudden closure left thousands of tourists waiting outside with no explanation. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now Workers say the museum is buckling under the strain of mass tourism, chronic understaffing and deteriorating infrastructure. With more than 8 million visitors last year, the Louvre has become a symbol of how unchecked tourism can overwhelm even the grandest cultural institutions. The strike follows growing unrest across Europe where cities are pushing back against the impact of overtourism. For Louvre workers, the breaking point has arrived. Their message is clear. It is not just about protecting great art. It is also about protecting the people who care for it every day. Mona Lisa's home 'The Louvre' flooded by visitors The Louvre has seen war and terror and even survived a global pandemic but it is the daily crush of modern tourism that has brought it to a halt. Staff walked out without warning during a routine meeting saying they could no longer handle the pressure of enormous crowds and poor working conditions. Striking workers described their jobs as 'untenable,' citing chronic understaffing, heat stress, and long-neglected infrastructure like leaky ceilings and poor ventilation. Many say they are exhausted by the relentless pace and overwhelmed by a space not designed to handle millions of annual visitors. The Mona Lisa and the selfie storm At the heart of the chaos is the Mona Lisa painting. More than 20,000 people pack into the Salle des etats (a room in the museum) every day to get a photo with the famous portrait. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now Most barely notice the other masterpieces in the room. Visitors describe the scene as loud and stressful with pushing and phones blocking the view. Some liken it to a celebrity appearance rather than an art experience. Despite the painting's fame, the overcrowding makes it nearly impossible to appreciate her properly. Louvre staff say this daily mob has turned the gallery into a pressure cooker, with little relief in sight. Government's plan to reduce crowding President Emmanuel Macron has announced a major renovation plan that includes a new entrance and a dedicated room for the Mona Lisa by 2031. But staff say they can't wait years for relief. They point to leaking ceilings and rising temperatures that put both people and priceless art at risk. A wider tourist overcrowding The Louvre strike came just a day after anti-tourism protests swept through cities like Venice and Barcelona. Activists there say tourism is damaging local life. At the Louvre, it is damaging the experience itself. Many say the museum has turned into a crowded funnel rather than a place for reflection. Temporary solution and uncertain future Some staff may return briefly to allow access to a few key artworks including the Mona Lisa and Venus de Milo. The full reopening could happen by Wednesday. Tourists with missed tickets may be allowed in later but no firm plans have been confirmed. Despite record attendance and rising ticket prices the Louvre has seen its government funding cut over the past decade. Workers say the state is ignoring urgent problems while using the museum for political prestige. For now France's greatest museum stands at a crossroads between glory and exhaustion.
