The Guardian newspaper reported on December 27 that the French General Confederation of Labor (CGT) launched a one-day strike to protest the way SETE (the Eiffel Tower's operator) manages the project.
Tourists who had booked tickets to visit the 134-year-old structure were told the tower was closed and they would be contacted by email. Photo: AP.
CGT said SETE was maintaining an "overly ambitious" and "unsustainable" business model. CGT said the Eiffel Tower operator had based its estimates on "overly optimistic" estimates of future ticket sales revenue while the estimated construction costs were not appropriate.
Many tourists were disappointed when the 134-year-old French structure closed.
However, to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the late engineer's death, the promenade at the foot of the tower remained open, and musical and dance performances were broadcast from the first floor of the tower as well as on social media and the country's television on the evening of December 27.
The Eiffel Tower is one of the most visited attractions in the world. Before the Covid-19 pandemic, the destination attracted nearly 7 million visitors a year, three-quarters of whom were foreign tourists, according to the Guardian. However, during the pandemic, visitor numbers have dropped significantly due to lockdowns and travel restrictions.
In 2022, visitor numbers recovered, with the tower welcoming 5.9 million visitors - a record number since the pandemic.
The iconic French structure was completed in 1889 after two years of construction and named after engineer Gustave Eiffel.
The engineer died on December 27, 1923, at the age of 91. In addition to the Eiffel Tower, he also collaborated with another engineer to complete the steel frame for the Statue of Liberty in New York.
