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https://www.pbs.org/newshour/world/the-louvre-the-worlds-most-visited-museum-shuts-down-to-sound-the-alarm-on-mass-tourism>
"PARIS (
AP) — The Louvre, the world’s most-visited museum and a global symbol
of art, beauty and endurance, has withstood war, terror, and pandemic — but on
Monday, it was brought to a halt by its own staff, who say the institution is
crumbling under the weight of mass tourism.
It was an almost unthinkable sight: the home to works by Leonardo da Vinci and
millennia of civilization’s greatest treasures — paralyzed in a strike by the
very people tasked with welcoming the world to its galleries.
Thousands of stranded and confused visitors, tickets in hand, were corralled
into unmoving lines beneath I.M. Pei’s glass pyramid.
“It’s the Mona Lisa moan out here,” said Kevin Ward, 62, from Milwaukee.
“Thousands of people waiting, no communication, no explanation. I guess even
she needs a day off.”
The Louvre has become a symbol of tourism pushed to its limits. As hotspots
from Venice to the Acropolis race to curb crowds, the world’s most iconic
museum, visited by millions, is hitting a breaking point of its own.
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 — a theatrical bid to “cool down”
runaway tourism.
The Louvre’s 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, chronic understaffing and what
one union called “untenable” working conditions.
It’s rare for the Louvre to close its doors. It has happened during war, during
the pandemic, and in a handful of strikes — including spontaneous walkouts over
overcrowding in 2019 and safety fears in 2013. But seldom has it happened so
suddenly, without warning, and in full view of the crowds."
Via Susan ****
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
