Mass tourism a modern ill
Opinion
When I went to Paris in 2012, I skipped the Louvre. Sacré bleu!
Don't get me wrong: I notably love an art museum and try to go to one in every city I visit. From the Tate Modern in London to the Art Institute of Chicago to the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam to the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City to the Denver Art Museum, I've had the absolute privilege — and it is that — to have seen many amazing works by incredible artists at world-class institutions.
But the Louvre gave me a particular kind of crowd anxiety. I'd seen the photos of sweaty throngs of people jockeying to get a glimpse of the Mona Lisa which, in addition to being famous, is famously not a large painting; Leonardo da Vinci's Renassiance-era portrait is 77 by 53 centimetres.
Thibault Camus / The Associated Press
Seeing Leonardo da Vinci's Mona Lisa seems to be on a lot of bucket lists.
Our girl draws 30,000 visitors a day, which means actually getting anywhere close to her is all but impossible, and I'm sure it's only gotten worse with the advent of selfies and content creators.
I just took an exterior photo of the Louvre Pyramid (itself a cultural landmark) and called it a day.
On Monday, the Louvre, which is the world's most-visited museum, closed its doors, leaving long lines of tourists stranded outside. The temporary closure was the result of a so-called wildcat strike, an unauthorized work stoppage by unionized employees. Staff are exhausted, trying to work at a crumbling institution that cannot handle the staggering crowds.
And 80 per cent of visitors to the Louvre are there to see the Mona Lisa.
I'll admit that I don't quite understand this. I get making a pilgrimage to see a masterpiece — Vermeer's The Milkmaid, Kent Monkman's The Scream and Georges Seurat's A Sunday on La Grande Jatte are all works I've written about travelling to have a moment with — and I agree that the Mona Lisa is a masterpiece.
But why this masterpiece — so reproduced, parodied and pop culture-fied — is harder to parse, especially since the gauntlet one must pass through to see it looks so miserable.
The Louvre has what New York Times arts critic Jason Farago dubbed a 'Mona Lisa Problem.'
'No other iconic painting — not Botticelli's Birth of Venus at the Uffizi in Florence, not Klimt's Kiss at the Belvedere in Vienna, not Starry Night at the Museum of Modern Art in New York — comes anywhere close to monopolizing its institution like she does,' he wrote in 2019.
That one artwork, he argued, eclipses all the others in the museum, including others right near it, and it needs its own dedicated space outside of the Louvre.
I do wonder if the Mona Lisa is, for many people, simply a box to be checked, something people feel they have to do (and I'm using the word 'do' intentionally, as though it's on a list, instead of 'see') because that's just what you do when you go to Paris.
In other words, you can't talk about the Mona Lisa without talking about mass tourism, of which this kind of bingo-card box ticking is a symptom.
Also this week, Spaniards in Barcelona and Mallorca sprayed tourists with water pistols to protest an oversaturation of visitors they say is contributing to both an erosion of their communities' character and a housing shortage.
It's not just Spain. You don't have to search far to find similar complaints about overtourism in Japan, Iceland or Switzerland. The advent of Instagram Tourism, where influencers visit places just to take perfect photos for social media — coupled with the proliferation of short-term rentals — only adds to the pressure on these places, many of which hold humanity's greatest achievements.
People are unlikely to stop visiting these hyper-popular locales, even though I think we can agree that mass tourism, at the level it's at now, is unsustainable socially, economically and environmentally, which no one likes to talk about because, well, people want to travel.
Travel can be enriching. It can change your perspective. It can give you a better understanding of the world and your place in it.
Wednesdays
Columnist Jen Zoratti looks at what's next in arts, life and pop culture.
But is throwing elbows to see the Mona Lisa really a meaningful cultural experience? Does 'going for the 'Gram' really allow one to have real interactions with a place where, by the way, actual people live?
The good news is, there's a whole big globe to explore. Going off the beaten path might yield more discovery of out-of-the-way local economies where you could spend your tourism dollars.
Might I suggest Winnipeg? I realize I am probably mostly preaching to residents, but I'm serious. Maybe not while there are wildfires burning in the province, but any other time. We've got history. We've got nature. We've got A+ restaurants. If it's art you're looking for, we've got that, too, and it's not an abject nightmare to go look at it. We've even got a Seine.
Just as there are other artworks in the Louvre, there are other cities in the world.
jen.zoratti@freepress.mb.ca
Jen ZorattiColumnist
Jen Zoratti is a columnist and feature writer working in the Arts & Life department, as well as the author of the weekly newsletter NEXT. A National Newspaper Award finalist for arts and entertainment writing, Jen is a graduate of the Creative Communications program at RRC Polytech and was a music writer before joining the Free Press in 2013. Read more about Jen.
Every piece of reporting Jen produces is reviewed by an editing team before it is posted online or published in print – part of the Free Press's tradition, since 1872, of producing reliable independent journalism. Read more about Free Press's history and mandate, and learn how our newsroom operates.
Our newsroom depends on a growing audience of readers to power our journalism. If you are not a paid reader, please consider becoming a subscriber.
Our newsroom depends on its audience of readers to power our journalism. Thank you for your support.
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Winnipeg Free Press
20 hours ago
- Winnipeg Free Press
Mass tourism a modern ill
Opinion When I went to Paris in 2012, I skipped the Louvre. Sacré bleu! Don't get me wrong: I notably love an art museum and try to go to one in every city I visit. From the Tate Modern in London to the Art Institute of Chicago to the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam to the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City to the Denver Art Museum, I've had the absolute privilege — and it is that — to have seen many amazing works by incredible artists at world-class institutions. But the Louvre gave me a particular kind of crowd anxiety. I'd seen the photos of sweaty throngs of people jockeying to get a glimpse of the Mona Lisa which, in addition to being famous, is famously not a large painting; Leonardo da Vinci's Renassiance-era portrait is 77 by 53 centimetres. Thibault Camus / The Associated Press Seeing Leonardo da Vinci's Mona Lisa seems to be on a lot of bucket lists. Our girl draws 30,000 visitors a day, which means actually getting anywhere close to her is all but impossible, and I'm sure it's only gotten worse with the advent of selfies and content creators. I just took an exterior photo of the Louvre Pyramid (itself a cultural landmark) and called it a day. On Monday, the Louvre, which is the world's most-visited museum, closed its doors, leaving long lines of tourists stranded outside. The temporary closure was the result of a so-called wildcat strike, an unauthorized work stoppage by unionized employees. Staff are exhausted, trying to work at a crumbling institution that cannot handle the staggering crowds. And 80 per cent of visitors to the Louvre are there to see the Mona Lisa. I'll admit that I don't quite understand this. I get making a pilgrimage to see a masterpiece — Vermeer's The Milkmaid, Kent Monkman's The Scream and Georges Seurat's A Sunday on La Grande Jatte are all works I've written about travelling to have a moment with — and I agree that the Mona Lisa is a masterpiece. But why this masterpiece — so reproduced, parodied and pop culture-fied — is harder to parse, especially since the gauntlet one must pass through to see it looks so miserable. The Louvre has what New York Times arts critic Jason Farago dubbed a 'Mona Lisa Problem.' 'No other iconic painting — not Botticelli's Birth of Venus at the Uffizi in Florence, not Klimt's Kiss at the Belvedere in Vienna, not Starry Night at the Museum of Modern Art in New York — comes anywhere close to monopolizing its institution like she does,' he wrote in 2019. That one artwork, he argued, eclipses all the others in the museum, including others right near it, and it needs its own dedicated space outside of the Louvre. I do wonder if the Mona Lisa is, for many people, simply a box to be checked, something people feel they have to do (and I'm using the word 'do' intentionally, as though it's on a list, instead of 'see') because that's just what you do when you go to Paris. In other words, you can't talk about the Mona Lisa without talking about mass tourism, of which this kind of bingo-card box ticking is a symptom. Also this week, Spaniards in Barcelona and Mallorca sprayed tourists with water pistols to protest an oversaturation of visitors they say is contributing to both an erosion of their communities' character and a housing shortage. It's not just Spain. You don't have to search far to find similar complaints about overtourism in Japan, Iceland or Switzerland. The advent of Instagram Tourism, where influencers visit places just to take perfect photos for social media — coupled with the proliferation of short-term rentals — only adds to the pressure on these places, many of which hold humanity's greatest achievements. People are unlikely to stop visiting these hyper-popular locales, even though I think we can agree that mass tourism, at the level it's at now, is unsustainable socially, economically and environmentally, which no one likes to talk about because, well, people want to travel. Travel can be enriching. It can change your perspective. It can give you a better understanding of the world and your place in it. Wednesdays Columnist Jen Zoratti looks at what's next in arts, life and pop culture. But is throwing elbows to see the Mona Lisa really a meaningful cultural experience? Does 'going for the 'Gram' really allow one to have real interactions with a place where, by the way, actual people live? The good news is, there's a whole big globe to explore. Going off the beaten path might yield more discovery of out-of-the-way local economies where you could spend your tourism dollars. Might I suggest Winnipeg? I realize I am probably mostly preaching to residents, but I'm serious. Maybe not while there are wildfires burning in the province, but any other time. We've got history. We've got nature. We've got A+ restaurants. If it's art you're looking for, we've got that, too, and it's not an abject nightmare to go look at it. We've even got a Seine. Just as there are other artworks in the Louvre, there are other cities in the world. Jen ZorattiColumnist Jen Zoratti is a columnist and feature writer working in the Arts & Life department, as well as the author of the weekly newsletter NEXT. A National Newspaper Award finalist for arts and entertainment writing, Jen is a graduate of the Creative Communications program at RRC Polytech and was a music writer before joining the Free Press in 2013. Read more about Jen. Every piece of reporting Jen produces is reviewed by an editing team before it is posted online or published in print – part of the Free Press's tradition, since 1872, of producing reliable independent journalism. Read more about Free Press's history and mandate, and learn how our newsroom operates. Our newsroom depends on a growing audience of readers to power our journalism. If you are not a paid reader, please consider becoming a subscriber. Our newsroom depends on its audience of readers to power our journalism. Thank you for your support.
Style Blueprint
2 days ago
- Style Blueprint
6 Kentucky Trails Worth Traveling For: Kentucky Food, Drinks, Music & More
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So pick your path (or mix and match a few) and let your journey be as memorable as the destination. ********** For more travel inspiration, visit our archives. About the Author Gaye Swan As a professional writer of over 20 years, Gaye is an avid traveler and enjoys highlighting food, culture, and attractions around the South. While Gaye is passionate about her home city of Memphis, she's still a Mississippi girl at heart — born and raised in Meridian, MS.
CBC
6 days ago
- CBC
The Louvre, plagued by overtourism, shuts its doors to visitors as workers strike
The Louvre, the world's most-visited museum and a global symbol of art, beauty and endurance, remained shuttered Monday — not by war but by its own exhausted staff, who say the institution in Paris is crumbling from within. The 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. The Louvre has become a bellwether of global overtourism as its become overwhelmed by its own popularity. As tourism magnets from Venice to the Acropolis scramble to cap crowds, the world's most iconic museum is reaching a reckoning of its own. "It's the Mona Lisa moan out here," said Kevin Ward, 62, from Milwaukee, one of thousands of confused visitors corralled into unmoving lines beneath I.M. Pei's glass pyramid. "Thousands of people waiting, no communication, no explanation. I guess even she needs a day off." It's a rare thing for the Louvre to close its doors to the public. 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 felt quite like this: tourists lining the plaza, tickets in hand, with no clear explanation for why the museum had, without warning, simply stopped. The disruption comes just months after French President Emmanuel Macron unveiled a sweeping decade-long plan to rescue the Louvre from precisely the problems now boiling over — water leaks, dangerous temperature swings, outdated infrastructure and foot traffic far beyond what the museum can handle. But for workers on the ground, that promised future feels distant. "We can't wait six years for help," said Sarah Sefian of the CGT-Culture union. "Our teams are under pressure now. It's not just about the art — it's about the people protecting it." WATCH | Venice is struggling with overtourism, too: Venice is struggling with overtourism: Will a €5 fee help? 1 year ago Duration 0:44 The Mona Lisa's daily mob Roughly 20,000 people a day squeeze into the Salle des États, the museum's largest room, just to snap a selfie with Leonardo da Vinci's Mona Lisa. The scene is often noisy, jostling and so dense that many barely glance at the masterpieces flanking her — works by Titian and Veronese that go largely ignored. "You don't see a painting," said Ji-Hyun Park, 28, who flew from Seoul to Paris. "You see phones. You see elbows. You feel heat. And then you're pushed out." Macron's renovation blueprint, dubbed the "Louvre New Renaissance," promises a remedy. The Mona Lisa will finally get her own dedicated room, accessible through a timed-entry ticket. A new entrance near the Seine River is also planned by 2031 to relieve pressure from the overwhelmed pyramid hub. "Conditions of display, explanation and presentation will be up to what the Mona Lisa deserves," Macron said in January. A museum in limbo The Louvre welcomed 8.7 million visitors last year, which is more than double what its infrastructure was designed to accommodate. Even with a daily cap of 30,000, staff say the experience has become a daily test of endurance, with too few rest areas, limited bathrooms and summer heat magnified by the pyramid's greenhouse effect. In a leaked memo, Louvre president Laurence des Cars warned that parts of the building are "no longer watertight," that temperature fluctuations endanger priceless art and that even basic visitor needs — food, restrooms, signage — fall far below international standards. She described the experience simply as "a physical ordeal." "What began as a scheduled monthly information session turned into a mass expression of exasperation," Sefian said. Talks between workers and management began at 10:30 a.m. and continued into the afternoon. As of the early afternoon, the museum remained closed. The full renovation plan — with a projected cost of 700 million to 800 million euros ($1 milion to $1.25 million Cdn) — is expected to be financed through ticket revenue, private donations, state funds and licensing fees from the Louvre's Abu Dhabi branch. Ticket prices for non-EU tourists are expected to rise later this year. WATCH | Why is the Mona Lisa so famous? The Mona Lisa isn't famous just because it's a good painting | The Science of Success 3 years ago Duration 1:47 The Mona Lisa, the world's most famous painting, hung on the walls of palaces for 400 years before it became known. In the early 20th century, it was stolen from the Louvre in Paris, and it's fame exploded. But workers say their needs are more urgent than any 10-year plan. Unlike other major sites in Paris, such as Notre-Dame Cathedral or the Centre Pompidou museum, both of which are undergoing government-backed restorations, the Louvre remains stuck in limbo — neither fully funded nor fully functional. 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. Until then, France's greatest cultural treasure — and the crowds who flock to it — remain caught between the cracks.
