[Image: Siham Lebkiri /Facebook]
The world’s most-visited museum has seen it all: war, terror attacks, even a global pandemic. But this week, the Louvre came to a standstill for a very different reason after its staff decided they’d had enough of the unmanageable crowds.
The spontaneous strike erupted during a routine internal meeting, as gallery attendants, ticket agents and security personnel refused to take up their posts in protest over unmanageable crowds, too few rest areas, limited bathrooms, and summer heat magnified by the pyramid’s greenhouse effect.
While tourist hotspots like Venice and the Acropolis also scramble to manage overwhelming crowds, the Louvre is cracking under the same pressure, becoming a symbol of what happens when mass tourism pushes too far.
The Louvre welcomed 8.7 million visitors last year, more than double the number the museum is designed for. For the staff welcoming the 30,000 visitors daily, the task has become a test of their endurance.
Of all the attractions, the crowds around the Mona Lisa have become especially problematic. Cramming about 20,000 people a day into Salle des États for a selfie has become unbearable not just for staff, but even visitors.
“You don’t even see paintings,” says Ji-Hyun Park, who was visiting from Seoul. “You see phones. You see elbows. You feel heat. And then you get pushed out.”
President Emmanuel Macron recently announced an ambitious 10-year plan to save the museum from exactly these issues — crumbling infrastructure, unstable temperatures, water damage, and way too many feet through the door.
But for the people actually working there, that timeline feels like a luxury they can’t afford.
“We can’t wait six years for help,” said Sarah Sefian, a 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.”
Louvre workers call Macron hypocritical and say the €700–800 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% over the past decade, even as visitor numbers soared.
“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.”
Just a day earlier, coordinated anti-tourism protests swept across southern Europe. Thousands rallied in Mallorca, Venice, Lisbon and beyond, denouncing an economic model they say displaces locals and erodes city life. In Barcelona, activists sprayed tourists with water pistols in a theatrical bid to “cool down” runaway tourism.
While many Louvre staff plan to remain off duty, some workers said they may return temporarily to open a limited “masterpiece route” for a couple of hours, allowing access to select highlights, including the Mona Lisa and the Venus de Milo.
[Source: PBS]
