One of the world’s top tourist attractions, the Eiffel Tower, was closed Monday after a staff strike, union officials told AFP.
The strike, sparked by protests over the way the monument is financially managed, could be extended. It is the second strike at the Eiffel Tower within two months for the same reason.
The tower’s operating company, SETE, said on its website that “visits to the monument will be interrupted on Monday.” The company advised ticket holders to check their website before coming, or to postpone their visit. E-ticket holders were asked to check their emails for further information.
Unions have criticised operator SETE for its business model, which they say is based on overestimating future visitor numbers and underestimating construction costs.
The Eiffel Tower, Paris’ most famous landmark, attracts about seven million visitors a year, about three-quarters of them foreigners, according to its website.
Visitor numbers fell sharply during the Covid pandemic due to closures and travel restrictions, but recovered to 5.9 million in 2022. Visitor numbers are expected to rise this summer as the French capital hosts the Olympics.
In a joint statement, the CGT and FO unions called on Paris city authorities to “be reasonable in their financial demands to ensure the survival of the monument and the company that manages it”.
