Louvre employees have gone on strike after the museum was once again named the world’s most visited destination.

The Louvre in Paris has reclaimed its title as the most visited museum globally, but that accolade is sparking concern among its staff.

In 2018, the Louvre shattered its own record, attracting a staggering 10.2 million visitors and securing the top spot on the list of the world’s most-visited museums.

However, the surge in visitors is overwhelming for many employees. Strikes by reception and security staff, protesting the influx of tourists, have led to reduced opening hours throughout the week.

According to the workers' union, the museum is 'suffocating.' They highlighted that since 2009, visitor numbers have increased by over 20%, but the museum's infrastructure has not expanded. The union called the situation 'untenable.'

The Louvre was shut on Monday and opened later than scheduled on Wednesday due to ongoing discussions with disgruntled workers. Throughout the week, visitors were seen queuing outside, and those without reservations were turned away.

Despite the ongoing labor disputes, the museum’s financial performance remains strong.

Last year, the Louvre surpassed its 2012 attendance record, recovering impressively from a significant drop in visitor numbers in 2017, which was attributed to a general decline in tourism in Paris.

Experts from the 2018 Museum Index suggest that the buzz generated by Beyoncé and Jay-Z’s music video, filmed at the museum, likely contributed to the surge in visitors.

The report, published by the Themed Entertainment Association (TEA) and AECOM’s Economics practice, also pointed to the success of the Eugène Delacroix exhibition, which became the most popular temporary exhibition in the Louvre’s history.

While the Louvre saw an increase in visitors, the overall attendance at the world’s top 20 museums remained largely unchanged last year, according to the TEA Museum Index.

From 2017 to 2018, attendance among the top 20 museums grew by a modest 0.1%. Collectively, these museums attracted 108.1 million visitors last year.

The National Museum of China, the second most visited museum globally, attracted almost 8.6 million visitors in 2018, marking a rise of nearly 7%.

The top five also include the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York (3rd), Vatican Museums in Vatican City (4th), and the National Air and Space Museum in Washington, DC (5th).