On June 16, 2025, the Louvre Museum in Paris made headlines by unexpectedly closing its doors due to a staff strike, leaving thousands of visitors stranded outside. The strike was a result of worsening working conditions, chronic understaffing, and overcrowding issues.

Reasons Behind the Closure

• Overcrowding: The museum, designed for 4 million annual visitors, now sees over 8 million visitors each year, leading to overcrowding around popular exhibits like the Mona Lisa.
• Bad Infrastructure: Museum director, Laurence des Cars, highlighted issues such as water leaks, temperature fluctuations, and outdated facilities.
• Understaffing: A shortage of employees has resulted in increased workloads and stress among the existing staff.

Louvre New Renaissance

In response to these challenges, French President Emmanuel Macron announced the Louvre New Renaissance renovation plan, which includes:

• Dedicated Mona Lisa Gallery: The iconic painting will be moved to a new, climate-controlled room to accommodate a higher volume of visitors.
• New Entrance: A second entrance will be constructed to ease congestion at the existing glass pyramid entrance, with completion expected by 2031.

The temporary closure of the Louvre Museum serves as a reminder of the pressures faced by popular attractions due to overtourism and infrastructure challenges.