The world’s most-visited museum shuts down, sounding the alarm on mass tourism

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. President Macron, who delivered his 2017 election victory speech at the Louvre and showcased it during the 2024 Paris Olympics, has promised a safer, more modern museum by the end of the decade.