Eiffel Tower operator chief to step down after women staff removed during Hindu group's visit

The head of the company operating the Eiffel Tower will step down at the end of the year following a controversy over the removal of women staff during a visit by a Hindu religious group.

Patrick Branco Ruivo, director general of the Paris landmark since 2018, will leave his position after an internal investigation found “operational flaws and shortcomings” in the organisation of the September 5 visit, SETE said on Tuesday.

The company said the removal of women staff was “unacceptable”.

The visit by the Bochasanwasi Akshar Purushottam Swaminarayan Sanstha (BAPS) spiritual movement prompted a staff walkout and the closure of the Eiffel Tower for a day.

SETE had previously acknowledged that the Hindu delegation requested arrangements to limit “interactions with women”. The company said at the time that such conditions “should not have been accepted”.

Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo has also ordered separate investigations into the incident.

SETE board chairman Ariel Weil said the coming months would be used to prepare for the leadership transition. He also called for the creation of a dedicated protocol department and new measures and training programmes to promote gender equality.

BAPS has apologised for “any pain or inconvenience caused” by the incident. The spiritual movement, which is close to Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s ruling Bharatiya Janata Party, opened its first major temple near Paris during the same weekend.

The Eiffel Tower receives nearly seven million visitors each year.