Eiffel Tower Shuts Down on the 100th Anniversary of Its Creator's Death Due to Staff Strike

On the centennial of Gustave Eiffel's death, the Eiffel Tower was shut down due to a staff strike. Tourists with pre-booked tickets were informed of the closure and expected to receive email communication.

The strike highlighted union concerns, particularly from the CGT, about mismanagement and unsustainable financial forecasts by the operating company SETE. The union criticized SETE's overly optimistic visitor projections and insufficient budgeting for escalating maintenance costs.

The Eiffel Tower, a global tourist hotspot, attracted nearly 7 million annually pre-pandemic, with numbers reaching 5.9 million in 2022 post-restrictions. The union disputed SETE's assumption of an unrealistic annual 7.4 million visitors for future budgets.

Although the tower was closed, the ground-level esplanade remained open. A planned centennial celebration with light, sound, music, and dance—pre-recorded for broadcast from the tower, social media, and TV—was unaffected.

Gustave Eiffel, who passed away on December 27, 1923, at age 91, was a pioneering engineer best known for the tower and his work on the Statue of Liberty.

Initially intended as a temporary exhibit for the 1889 Universal Exhibition, the Iron Lady, despite criticism, was saved from demolition for its utility as a communication station. It now stands as Paris's iconic symbol. Upcoming renovations will require the closure of the tower's top floor for several weeks.