Greece’s Acropolis Begins Trial of Limiting Daily Visitors
Athens, Greece – Starting today, one of Greece’s most famous landmarks, the Athens Acropolis, will be trialing a new system that limits its daily visitors. The archaeological site, known for its ancient cultural significance, attracts tourists from around the world. However, the high volume of visitors has created issues of overcrowding and bottlenecks at the site.
Under the new system, visitors to the Acropolis will be capped at 20,000 per day. A booking website will be used to keep track of footfall and enforce an hourly slot system. This initiative aims to tackle overcrowding, ensure the safety of visitors, and preserve the monument for future generations.
According to Greek culture minister Lina Mendoni, the Acropolis currently welcomes up to 23,000 daily visitors, which she considers to be a “huge number.” The majority of visitors tend to arrive in the morning hours, leading to unpleasant conditions for both visitors and staff.
The trial of the new system is expected to run until April 2024 when it will likely be formally enforced. Additionally, the booking system will be extended to other archaeological sites in Greece that operate with electronic tickets, accounting for the majority of visitors to Greek sites.
The Athens Acropolis, built on a rocky hill in the fifth century BC, houses a collection of historic ruins, buildings, and artifacts. The most famous structure within the Acropolis is the Parthenon temple, dedicated to the goddess Athena. The site and its monuments are considered the greatest architectural and artistic complex of Greek Antiquity, according to UNESCO.
Earlier this summer, the Acropolis was temporarily closed due to extreme temperatures during a record-breaking European heatwave. The site was also affected by the recent Greek wildfires, with photos from late August showing it enveloped in smoke.
The new system of limiting visitors is expected to alleviate overcrowding and preserve the integrity and longevity of the Acropolis and other archaeological sites in Greece.