June 19, 2025 | Paris, France
The Louvre Museum, a global cultural icon and the world’s most visited museum, faced an unprecedented closure on June 16, 2025, as its staff staged a spontaneous strike to protest the overwhelming effects of overtourism, chronic understaffing, and deteriorating working conditions. The walkout left thousands of tourists stranded outside the museum’s iconic glass pyramid, unable to view masterpieces like Leonardo da Vinci’s Mona Lisa, which alone draws an estimated 20,000 visitors daily. This dramatic event has sparked a global conversation about the sustainability of mass tourism and the toll it takes on cultural institutions, their employees, and the cities that host them.
A Day of Disappointment for Visitors
On Monday morning, June 16, tourists from around the world gathered eagerly outside the Louvre, many hoping to catch a glimpse of the Mona Lisa or explore the museum’s vast collection of over 380,000 artifacts. Instead, they were met with locked doors and long, unmoving lines. The closure, which caught both visitors and management off guard, was the result of a strike initiated during a routine internal meeting. Gallery attendants, ticket agents, and security personnel refused to work, citing “untenable” conditions caused by the relentless influx of tourists.
“It’s the Mona Lisa moan out here,” said Kevin Ward, a 62-year-old visitor from Milwaukee, Wisconsin, capturing the frustration of thousands stranded beneath I.M. Pei’s glass pyramid. “Thousands of people waiting, no communication, no explanation. I guess even she needs a day off.” Ward’s sentiment echoed the disappointment felt by many, some of whom had traveled thousands of miles and planned their trips around a visit to the Louvre.
The museum remained closed for most of the day, though some staff returned temporarily in the afternoon to open a limited “masterpiece route,” allowing access to select highlights, including the Mona Lisa and the Venus de Milo. The Louvre, which typically closes on Tuesdays, was expected to fully reopen on Wednesday, June 18, with management offering to honor Monday’s time-sensitive tickets on that day. However, the disruption underscored deeper issues that have been simmering for years.
The Mona Lisa Mob: Overtourism’s Epicenter
At the heart of the Louvre’s overtourism crisis is the Mona Lisa, Leonardo da Vinci’s 16th-century masterpiece. Housed in the Salle des États, the museum’s largest room, the painting attracts roughly 20,000 visitors each day, contributing significantly to the museum’s nearly 9 million annual visitors in 2024. The room is often described as a “selfie scrum,” with tourists jostling for space, raising phones and elbows to snap a quick photo before being pushed out by the crowd.
The June 16 strike was not the first time Louvre employees have taken collective action, but it was among the most disruptive. Workers, including gallery attendants, receptionists, and security personnel, described their working conditions as “a physical ordeal.” Sarah Sefian, a gallery attendant and representative of the CGT-Culture union, emphasized the urgency of the situation: “We can’t wait six years for help. Our teams are under pressure now. It’s not just about the art—it’s about the people protecting it.”
Staff complaints center on several key issues:
- Overcrowding: The museum’s infrastructure, particularly the glass pyramid entrance installed in 1989, was designed to handle half the current annual visitor numbers. With nearly 9 million visitors in 2024, the Louvre struggles to manage the constant foot traffic, leading to bottlenecks and safety hazards.
- Understaffing: Chronic understaffing has left employees overwhelmed, with increased workloads and heightened stress. The lack of sufficient personnel exacerbates the challenges of crowd control and artifact preservation.
- Deteriorating Infrastructure: A leaked memo from Louvre President Laurence des Cars to French Culture Minister Rachida Dati earlier in 2025 described the museum’s condition as “very degraded.” Issues include water leaks, temperature fluctuations, and outdated facilities, all of which threaten both the artworks and the staff’s ability to perform their duties.
- Unsustainable Working Conditions: Employees report physical and mental exhaustion from managing unmanageable crowds. The Mona Lisa’s Salle des États, in particular, has become a flashpoint, with staff struggling to maintain order amidst the daily mob.
The strike has drawn attention to the human cost of overtourism. “The Louvre has become a bellwether of global overtourism—a gilded palace overwhelmed by its own popularity,” wrote one commentator, highlighting the museum’s struggle to balance its role as a cultural treasure with the demands of millions of visitors.
The Louvre New Renaissance: A Long-Term Solution?
In January 2025, French President Emmanuel Macron unveiled an ambitious €700–800 million ($730–830 million) renovation plan dubbed the “Louvre New Renaissance.” The decade-long project aims to address the museum’s outdated infrastructure and improve the visitor experience. Key components include:
- Dedicated Mona Lisa Gallery: The Mona Lisa will be relocated to a new, climate-controlled room with timed-entry tickets, designed to accommodate high visitor volumes while reducing congestion in the Salle des États.
- New Entrance: A second entrance near the Seine River, expected to be completed by 2031, will alleviate pressure on the overcrowded glass pyramid hub.
- Expanded Exhibition Spaces: Underground galleries will provide additional space for the museum’s vast collection, allowing for better crowd distribution.
- Improved Infrastructure: The plan addresses water damage, temperature instability, and other maintenance issues to ensure the preservation of artworks and the comfort of visitors and staff.
While the plan has been hailed as a necessary step, many employees and observers argue it is too slow to address the immediate crisis. “Conditions of display, explanation, and presentation will be up to what the Mona Lisa deserves,” Macron said during a January press conference at the Louvre, with the painting as his backdrop. However, workers like Sefian have called the timeline unrealistic, pointing out that the museum’s current state is already unsustainable.
The renovation will 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 in 2025, a move that has sparked debate about accessibility. Critics argue that the plan, while comprehensive, fails to address the root cause: the unchecked growth of global tourism.
Overtourism: A Global Phenomenon
The Louvre’s closure is part of a broader wave of protests against overtourism across Europe. Cities like Barcelona, Venice, and Lisbon have seen residents and workers push back against the influx of tourists, citing rising costs of living, loss of local identity, and strained infrastructure. In Venice, a €5 day-tripper fee has been introduced to curb crowds, while Barcelona has implemented tourist taxes. However, many argue these measures are insufficient to address the scale of the problem.
The Louvre, which welcomed 8.7 million visitors in 2023 and nearly 9 million in 2024, is a microcosm of this global challenge. Tourism has surged post-COVID, driven by what industry experts call “revenge travel”—a pent-up desire to explore after pandemic restrictions. The Louvre’s glass pyramid entrance, designed to handle 4.5 million visitors annually, is now overwhelmed by double that number, underscoring the need for systemic change.
The strike has also reignited discussions about the sustainability of cultural institutions. “With inadequate funds, investment, and a more equitable tourism model, even the best cultural institutions can be pushed to the precipice,” noted one report. The Louvre’s closure serves as a warning that without urgent action, other iconic sites may face similar disruptions.
The Path Forward
The Louvre’s closure on June 16, 2025, was a wake-up call for the global tourism industry. While the “Louvre New Renaissance” offers a long-term vision, immediate measures are needed to address overcrowding, understaffing, and infrastructure challenges. Proposals include stricter enforcement of the 30,000 daily visitor cap, increased hiring to bolster staff numbers, and temporary crowd-control measures like timed-entry tickets for high-traffic exhibits.
For now, the Louvre remains a symbol of both cultural excellence and the perils of unchecked tourism. As the world grapples with how to preserve its treasures while accommodating millions of eager visitors, the Mona Lisa continues to gaze enigmatically, her smile a reminder of the delicate balance between accessibility and preservation.
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