Overcrowding at the Acropolis: Greece limits daily visits

04-08-23

The Greek government announced on Wednesday that it will introduce a limit on daily visits to the Acropolis in Athens from September in order to protect and preserve its national treasure. The Greek government is responding to recent criticism of the deterioration of the site due to mismanagement of tourism.

The new plan will set a limit of 20,000 visitors a day, as well as hourly maximums to avoid bottlenecks and crowds of tourists at the UNESCO World Heritage site. "The measure will address the need to protect the monument, which is the main thing for us, as well as improve the visitor experience," said Culture Minister Lina Mendoni, in statements reported by the Greek daily Ekathinerini.

Mendoni explained that the new entry limits will be implemented on a trial basis from 4 September and will officially come into force on a permanent basis from 1 April 2024. The measure does not set a maximum time limit for visits, which, according to the minister, are usually around 45 minutes for people coming to the Acropolis as part of an organised tour or cruise ship excursions - 50% of the daily visitor register.