Eiffel Tower closed due to staff strike

In a statement, the left-wing CGT union said the strike was marking the 100th anniversary of the death of engineer Gustave Eiffel, who built the tower, and was aimed at protesting against “the current management”.

The CGT said the management was operating the Eiffel Tower on an "overly ambitious and unsustainable" business model, and the union said the tower's operator, SETE, had overestimated future visitor numbers while underestimating construction costs.

SETE apologised to travellers for the incident and advised anyone with an e-ticket on Wednesday to “check their emails” for further information about their booking.

The Eiffel Tower - Paris' most famous landmark - attracts nearly 7 million visitors a year, about three-quarters of whom are foreigners, according to the tower's website.

During the Covid pandemic, visitor numbers dropped sharply as the tower was closed and people were restricted from travelling, but numbers recovered to 5.9 million in 2022.

CGT said the tower's management was basing future budgets on 7.4 million annual visitors, although "this level has never been reached".

The engineer Gustave Eiffel, who built the tower, died on December 27, 1923.

Mai Van (according to CNA)