Several dozen Paris tour guides wearing masks and holding Mona Lisa portraits protested outside the Louvre museum on Monday for more support from the government to help them ride out the coronavirus crisis and a dearth of tourists.
RESERVATIONS WILL BE REQUIRED
They gathered at the foot of the Louvre’s glass pyramid as the museum reopened to visitors for the first time in four months after going into lockdown.
The museum’s management said that face masks were a must and the number of visitors would be limited, with reservations required.
There will also be a spaced queue to view Leonardo Da Vinci’s famous Mona Lisa painting.
In May, France announced measures worth 18 billion euros ($19 billion) to support its tourism sector from the damage wrought upon it by the global pandemic.
The Louvre said it was expecting 7,000 visitors on Monday but after initial flurry managers anticipate that numbers will only be a fifth of pre-outbreak levels – likely making for a more serene experience than usual.