Paris’ iconic Montmartre district faces a crisis of “over-tourism,” declares French daily Le Monde in a front-page exposé. The newspaper details how daily tourist hordes overwhelm the hilltop neighborhood, comparing its plight to Lisbon’s Alfama or Venice’s canals.
Residents, numbering 27,000, are increasingly angered by the area’s “growing Disneylandization.” The situation will intensify on July 27th when Montmartre hosts a stage of the Tour de France. This unprecedented route, directly inspired by the acclaimed Paris 2024 Olympic cycling course, features the legendary ascent of rue Lepic – a climb whose dramatic imagery during the Games drew global attention and comparisons to Impressionist paintings.
Within the steep, Sacré-Cœur-crowned quarter, exasperated locals are mounting protests. Calls are growing for a UNESCO World Heritage bid for the ‘Butte Montmartre,’ seen in Paris as a potential shield against mass tourism. Data from AirDNA reveals Airbnb listings in the area have skyrocketed by 36%. Traditional shops like barbers, dry cleaners, and greengrocers are being steadily ousted by an unstoppable wave of chain stores, crêperies, and souvenir shops.
Amid this transformation, the Sacré-Cœur Basilica has emerged as France’s most visited monument, recording 11 million entries in 2024 – surpassing even the Eiffel Tower. This marks a titanic struggle for visitors in one of the world’s top tourist capitals.
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