In the middle of high season the Eiffel Tower is closed because the staff stops. Employees say that a new visitor policy leads to excessively long queues for the Parisian top attraction.
Since last month, half of the tickets can be booked in advance by visitors who register at a specific time period. People with different tickets use different lifts, which leads to extra work for the employees.
At one lift it is very busy, while at the other there is hardly a line. The employees want people to be able to use the two elevators, whereby people who bought their tickets in advance are given priority.
Since the new system was established, the trade unions, representing about 300 employees, complain about “monstrous” waiting times. They also say that the management does not listen to the concerns of the employees.
Visitors disappointed
“There were three-hour days with a couple of elderly people fading in. We are exhausted and do not want to see this again in August”, says an employee and trade union representative against news agency AP .
Visitors are disappointed. “This is my first time in Paris and I was looking forward to seeing the Eiffel Tower and the city from above, but now it is closed,” says a German tourist.