Unprecedented lines of tourists at the Acropolis, which have lengthened since the end of the coronavirus pandemic, require measures to be taken to better serve citizens, as well as to preserve the historical monument.
Athens attracts millions of tourists and the first archaeological site that everyone rushes to see is
Acropolis
which has been on the World Heritage List since 1987. These days, when the tourist flow peaks in anticipation of summer, the Acropolis is characterized by increased popularity, as a result of which visitors experience unimaginable inconvenience, standing for hours in long queues, putting their health and physical integrity at risk, and the archaeological site is at risk of “damage”.
More than 25 centuries after it was built and 200 years after it began to attract tourists, the Acropolis will be crowd control policyto curb the influx of visitors.
Photos of people crowding at the entrance, in front of the gates of the monument, forced the government to take action, the British publication notes. Indeed, the Minister of Culture, Lina Mendoni, announced a few days ago that measures will be implemented by the end of July.
“Attendance in June and early July increased by 80% compared to 2019,” Ms. Mendoni said.
Acropolis, the most visited place in Greece, more than 17,000 people visit daily.
Among the expected measures are time management system on the Acropolis, fast entry points for tour groups and electronic ticketing.
As the Athenian News wrote earlier, thousands of tourists “besiege” the Athenian Acropolis every day, standing in long queues for hours. However, the problem is not the number of tourists, but the stupid organization of the most famous and expensive archaeological site in Greece.
Especially in the morning hours, the influx of tourists is huge: the buses that take them to the historical monument block the main roads in the center of Athens, lining up in dozens in areas near the Acropolis, which leads to traffic jams, and the locals who go to work run out of patience. During the four years that Mitsotakis’s conservative government was in power, officials say they paid great attention to the so-called “the tractor of the country’s economy”, that is, tourism.
However, it’s not enough to just promote hotels and pass laws regarding Airbnb’s activities and be proud of the millions of visitors who come to the country. It is necessary to see the bigger picture: to protect your country, its monuments, its citizens and its visitors. Moreover, information about the inability of the authorities to ensure order at the most expensive and popular tourist site in Greece has an extremely negative effect on the reputation of the country as a whole.
Especially in the morning hours, the influx of tourists is huge: the buses that take them to the historical monument block the main roads in the center of Athens, lining up in dozens in areas near the Acropolis, which leads to traffic jams, and the locals who go to work run out of patience. During the four years that Mitsotakis’s conservative government was in power, officials say they paid great attention to the so-called “the tractor of the country’s economy”, that is, tourism.
However, it’s not enough to just promote hotels and pass laws regarding Airbnb’s activities and be proud of the millions of visitors who come to the country. It is necessary to see the bigger picture: to protect your country, its monuments, its citizens and its visitors. Moreover, information about the inability of the authorities to ensure order at the most expensive and popular tourist site in Greece has an extremely negative effect on the reputation of the country as a whole.
More Stories
Fruits and vegetables: imports up 50.2% in April
Greek products on their way to France
Reduced fees for POS transactions, limited bank fees