This week, the Louvre Museum in Paris—the most visited museum in the world—was forced to close for several hours as workers protested overcrowding and understaffing. The museum, which houses famous artworks like the Mona Lisa and the Venus de Milo, receives millions of tourists every year, with about 20,000 visitors per day. Staff say they are not equipped to handle such large crowds, especially in the busy summer months.
Across Europe, frustration is growing among locals over mass tourism. Protests have taken place in cities like Lisbon, Venice, and Barcelona. In Spain, where 94 million tourists visited last year, locals complain about short-term rentals like Airbnb reducing available housing and raising rent prices. While Airbnb argues that most tourist stays are still in hotels, many residents feel the impact on daily life is too great. In response, France plans to build a new entrance to the Louvre and a better system for viewing the Mona Lisa. Tourism remains economically important, but public opinion is becoming more divided.
Vocabulary:
• overcrowding (noun): when too many people are in one place
• understaffing (noun): having too few workers to do the job
• shutdown (noun): the closing of a place or service
• throngs (noun): large crowds of people
• walkout (noun): when workers stop working to protest
• artwork (noun): a painting, sculpture, or other piece of art
• rental (noun): the act of paying to use something for a period of time
• resident (noun): a person who lives in a place permanently
• protest (noun/verb): an action showing disagreement or disapproval
• entrance (noun): the way into a building or space
Source: Good Morning America