The Louvre Museum, a global icon and the world’s most-visited cultural institution, abruptly closed its doors June 16 after staff walked out in protest, citing overwhelming crowds, chronic understaffing, and deteriorating working conditions. The spontaneous strike erupted during a routine internal meeting, leaving thousands of confused visitors stranded beneath the iconic glass pyramid.
Though the Louvre has weathered wars, terrorist threats, and the COVID-19 pandemic, full closures remain rare and almost never without warning. The sudden walkout aligns with a broader wave of anti-tourism unrest sweeping Europe, with recent protests in cities like Venice and Barcelona against the pressures of overtourism on public services and local life.
While President Emmanuel Macron has announced a long-term plan to address the museum’s structural issues, staff argue that these promises offer little relief for the immediate crisis.
The great personal enrichment that comes from absorbing other people’s cultures around the world has no doubt led a huge number of individuals to be more tolerant, open-minded, and adventurous. The fact that such trips are so accessible is also something to be celebrated. But when it goes too far, real problems start to occur.
Click through this gallery to find out what happens when cities actually suffer from “overtourism.”