From galleries with too many guests to seaside towns with overflowing beaches, over-tourism is a big problem in Europe. The world’s most popular museum is a prime example.
Driving the news: On Monday, would-be Louvre visitors left without seeing any priceless artwork as workers held an impromptu strike that kept the museum closed in response to over-tourism, which they believe is jeopardizing their health and that of the art.
- The strike broke out during a routine internal meeting, with gallery attendants, ticket agents, and security refusing to start their work days, citing “untenable” conditions.
Catch-up: The Louvre saw 8.7 million visitors last year, more than double the number of museum-goers it’s equipped to handle annually. An expansion plan — which includes Mona Lisa getting her own room — is in the works.
Big picture: The Louvre strike came hot off the heels of co-ordinated over-tourism protests in at least a dozen cities across Spain, Italy, and Portugal. It was the largest series of European protests yet condemning tourism for driving up housing, erasing local culture, and environmental degradation.
- These demonstrations built off of similar protests last year in southern Europe, which made spraying tourists with water guns a now-entrenched form of resistance.
Why it matters: Many Canadians largely agree with the protestors, and could be changing their vacation plans both to be courteous and to beat the crowds. A recent YouGov survey found that 71% of Canadian travellers are worried about the effects of over-tourism, and 81% said they’d swap out a well-known hotspot for somewhere less crammed.—QH