Visitors to Mont Saint-Michel, a popular tourist destination in northern France, were able to enter the site for free on Friday for the second day in a row due to a strike by employees.
Mont Saint-Michel is one of the most popular tourist attractions in France, with over 1.5 million visitors in 2023, up 20% from the previous year. The site as a whole, which consists of a small rocky island with the abbey perched on top, has attracted around three million visitors this year.
“People are very happy to be able to enter the abbey for free,” a union representative told AFP. “It’s a nice surprise.”
The strike began on Tuesday in a bid to improve working conditions, increase staffing levels, and raise wages for the 60 employees of the public Mont Saint-Michel Foundation.
The strike did not prevent the abbey from opening its doors, as the management has relied on managers, temporary workers, and non-striking employees to keep the site open to visitors.
However, entry has been free since Thursday due to the participation of a number of ticket-office employees in the strike.
