Patrick Branco Ruivo, the director general of the company responsible for operating the Eiffel Tower, is set to leave his position by the end of 2026 following controversy over the treatment of female employees during a visit by a Hindu religious delegation. Ruivo has led the Société d’Exploitation de la tour Eiffel (SETE), the organization responsible for operating the iconic Paris landmark, since the end of 2018. His departure comes after an independent inquiry examined operational failures surrounding a visit by members of the Bochasanwasi Shri Akshar Purushottam Swaminarayan Sanstha, widely known as BAPS, on September 5.
The controversy has placed Ruivo and the management of one of France’s most recognizable tourist attractions under intense scrutiny. According to a SETE statement, the inquiry found operational failures that resulted in female staff members being excluded from the visit. The company described the situation as “unacceptable” and said measures and training programs focused on gender equality would be implemented.
The incident also triggered industrial action, with employees closing the Eiffel Tower on September 7 in protest against what a union official described as unacceptable management instructions. The episode has therefore become more than a dispute surrounding one private visit. It has raised questions about workplace equality, management decisions, religious sensitivities and how public-facing institutions handle special visitors.
Patrick Branco Ruivo’s Role at the Eiffel Tower
Patrick Branco Ruivo has occupied the top executive position at SETE since the end of 2018, making him a central figure in the modern operation of the Eiffel Tower. Although the Eiffel Tower is one of the world’s most famous monuments, its daily operation involves a large organization responsible for managing visitors, employees, maintenance, security and commercial activities. SETE is the company that operates the landmark and manages the visitor experience at the site, which attracts around seven million visitors each year.
Ruivo’s tenure began at a time when the Eiffel Tower remained one of Paris’s biggest tourist attractions while also facing the practical challenges associated with maintaining a historic structure visited by millions of people. The 330-meter monument requires extensive maintenance and organization, and its popularity means that management decisions can have an immediate impact on both employees and visitors. During his years as director general, the tower also experienced labor disputes, including a major closure in February 2024.
That earlier strike lasted six days and involved employees demanding better maintenance of the historic monument as well as higher wages. The 2024 shutdown demonstrated how disagreements between management and workers could affect access to one of France’s most important landmarks. The latest dispute has a different focus, centering on instructions given to female employees during the BAPS delegation’s visit, but it again resulted in the Eiffel Tower being closed because of industrial action.
The September controversy emerged after management reportedly instructed staff that female workers should not come into contact with members of the delegation. The instruction became particularly controversial because it involved the treatment of employees based on gender. Staff members objected to the management decision, and anger intensified inside the organization. The subsequent strike highlighted the seriousness with which employees and unions viewed the instructions.
An independent firm was later asked to investigate what had happened during the September 5 visit. According to SETE, the investigation identified operational failures connected to the visit and concluded that these failures resulted in female employees being excluded. The company acknowledged that the situation was unacceptable. Ruivo’s decision to leave his position by the end of the year follows that inquiry, although the available information does not indicate that he personally issued every instruction involved in the incident.
The head of the company that operates the Eiffel Tower, Patrick Branco Ruivo, is stepping down following intense backlash. His resignation comes after female employees were ordered to stay out of sight to accommodate a visiting Hindu religious delegation.#SaltTvNewsUpDates… pic.twitter.com/2Ifv1WU9u5
— Salt TV (@SaltTvUganda) September 30, 2026
His resignation is therefore closely connected to the management controversy, but the circumstances also involve broader organizational decisions. The SETE statement linked his departure to the findings of the independent inquiry, while also announcing steps intended to reinforce gender equality within the organization. Ariel Weil, the chair of SETE, said she had requested measures and training programs promoting gender equality.
The decision is significant because leadership at a landmark such as the Eiffel Tower is highly visible. Millions of visitors associate the site with Paris and France, meaning that controversies involving its management can quickly attract international attention. The dispute has also drawn attention because the incident occurred during a religious delegation’s visit, adding another dimension to an already sensitive workplace issue.
What Happened During the BAPS Visit?
The event at the center of the controversy took place on September 5, when a delegation connected to BAPS visited the Eiffel Tower. BAPS stands for Bochasanwasi Shri Akshar Purushottam Swaminarayan Sanstha and is a worldwide religious and civic organization within the Swaminarayan tradition of Hinduism. The delegation was in Paris during celebrations connected with the inauguration of a traditional Hindu stone temple.
The visit itself became controversial because of instructions concerning female employees at the Eiffel Tower. According to the information released by SETE and reports surrounding the incident, management told staff that female workers should not be in contact with the delegation. Employees objected to this instruction, and the issue eventually developed into a wider dispute between staff and management.
The key point identified by the independent inquiry was that female staff members were excluded from the visit. SETE subsequently characterized this as an unacceptable situation. The company did not present the exclusion as an appropriate permanent workplace policy. Instead, it acknowledged the management failures and announced measures intended to promote gender equality.
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The incident also raises an important distinction between accommodating religious visitors and changing workplace treatment of employees. Religious and cultural visitors may have particular customs or expectations, and organizations sometimes have to make arrangements when hosting special delegations. However, the controversy at the Eiffel Tower centered on how those arrangements affected employees, particularly female members of staff. The resulting disagreement shows how complicated such decisions can become when cultural or religious considerations intersect with workplace equality.
The BAPS organization was visiting Paris in connection with celebrations surrounding a traditional Hindu temple. BAPS is associated with the Swaminarayan sect, a Hindu tradition with a global following and extensive religious and civic activities. The organization has temples and communities in different countries, and its activities can involve large gatherings and formal religious events.
The controversy should therefore not be confused with a general statement about Hinduism or BAPS as a whole. The issue described by SETE concerns the management of one particular visit and the instructions given to Eiffel Tower employees for that occasion. The independent inquiry focused on operational failures related to the September 5 visit, while the company’s response has centered on workplace practices and gender equality.
The reaction from Eiffel Tower workers was immediate and serious. The landmark was closed on September 7 after employees went on strike. A union representative described the management instructions as unacceptable, reflecting the anger among staff. Because the Eiffel Tower attracts millions of visitors every year, a closure quickly becomes highly visible, disrupting tourists who may have traveled to Paris specifically to visit the monument.
The September 7 closure was not the first time industrial action had brought the Eiffel Tower to a standstill. Employees had previously shut the landmark for six days in February 2024 during a dispute involving maintenance concerns and wages. These episodes demonstrate the importance of labor relations to the operation of the tower. Even a world-famous tourist attraction cannot function normally when employees and management are involved in a major dispute.
For visitors, a closure of the Eiffel Tower can be particularly disruptive because access is often planned well in advance. The monument is among the most recognizable destinations in Paris, and its annual visitor numbers are measured in the millions. A strike can therefore affect not only employees and management but also tourists, tour operators and businesses connected to the city’s tourism industry.
Why Is Patrick Branco Ruivo Leaving SETE?
Ruivo’s planned departure is directly connected to the fallout from the September visit and the subsequent independent inquiry. SETE said the inquiry found operational failures that led to female staff being excluded from the visit and described the circumstances as unacceptable. Following the investigation, Ruivo is expected to leave his position by the end of the year.
The available information does not establish that Ruivo personally ordered female employees to be excluded. Instead, the company has described the broader issue as management failures surrounding the visit. This distinction matters because the controversy concerns an organizational decision and its consequences, while Ruivo’s departure is the leadership response announced after the investigation.
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Ariel Weil, chair of SETE, has also called for measures and training programs promoting gender equality. These steps suggest that the organization intends to address the underlying workplace concerns rather than treating the departure of its director general as the only response. Training and equality measures could become part of the company’s efforts to prevent similar incidents in the future.
Ruivo’s resignation also closes a significant chapter in his leadership of the Eiffel Tower’s operating company. Since taking the top position in 2018, he has overseen the landmark during a period that included major operational challenges and labor disputes. The tower’s role as a global tourist attraction means that its management must balance visitor demand, employee concerns, maintenance requirements and the practical demands of operating a historic monument.
The latest controversy has placed particular emphasis on equality in the workplace. The fact that the employees affected were female has made gender equality central to the response. SETE’s decision to introduce measures and training on the issue indicates that the organization recognizes the need to establish clearer expectations around equal treatment of its workforce.
At the same time, the incident demonstrates how decisions made for a single special event can have consequences far beyond the event itself. What began as arrangements for a religious delegation’s visit eventually led to employee anger, a strike, the temporary closure of the Eiffel Tower, an independent investigation and the planned departure of its director general.
For Ruivo, the controversy marks the end of his tenure at SETE after almost eight years in the organization’s top position. For the Eiffel Tower, it becomes another episode in the continuing challenge of managing a historic monument while maintaining effective relations with its workforce. The Eiffel Tower remains one of Paris’s defining landmarks, attracting approximately seven million visitors annually. Behind the famous structure, however, is a large workforce and an organization responsible for keeping the monument open, safe and functioning. The events surrounding the BAPS visit have brought that normally invisible side of the landmark into public view.
Ruivo’s planned departure is consequently not simply a change at the top of an organization. It follows an investigation into how a particular visit was handled and a finding that female employees were excluded in circumstances SETE itself called unacceptable. The company’s promised gender-equality measures and training will now form part of the response to the controversy. As Ruivo prepares to leave by the end of the year, attention will turn to how SETE changes its internal practices and leadership following the episode. The incident has already demonstrated that decisions involving workplace equality can have significant consequences, especially at an institution as internationally visible as the Eiffel Tower.
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