Media report: Worry too many tourists trampling Greece’s archeological sites
![Media report: Worry too many tourists trampling Greece’s archeological sites](https://www.tornosnews.gr/en/files/Queueing_for_the_Acropolis_(84572232).jpg)
Many tourists are still pouring into Greece building up its state coffers as they could bring in as much as 20 billion euros ($20.73 billion) during the waning COVID-19 pandemic.
The bad news is that there are so many ancient archaeological sites, including the Acropolis, that are so overrun that it’s bringing worry that they are at risk of being damaged and ruining millennia-old features.
In a report, the British newspaper The Guardian noted the dilemma, with Tourism Minister Vassilis Kikilias saying, “it’s almost December and the season is still going, which is exactly what we want – to extend it, bit by bit.”
The New Democracy government wants tourists to come year-round and is adding different attractions for them, ranging from golf to sports and medicine, and is also urging them to visit less popular areas around the country.
There are likely to be more than 30 million tourists this year – almost three times the country’s population – falling a little short of the 33 million in the record year 2019 before the coronavirus hit.
The government is welcoming them with open arms despite criticism it’s doing it for the money and doesn’t care about the future of the ancient sites as long as they keep coming and spending.
During the peak summer period, about 16,000 vacationers each day were ascending the famed Acropolis to see the Parthenon and more criticism was heaped on the government for paving over part of the landscape to attract and accommodate even more, changing its character.
During nearly two years of pandemic lockdowns and slowdowns that brought international air traffic to a near-standstill and emptied tourism and archaeological sites, there was the fear they wouldn’t come back.
Now, some shop owners in the tourist area of the Plaka near the Acropolis want them to go home, worn out by trying to keep up with them even as they picked up souvenirs like candy out of bowls.
Anna Simou, who works in a contemporary Greek design store in the district told the newspaper that, “we’re all exhausted and that’s with management employing new staff.”
Athens Mayor Kostas Bakoyannis said the tourists have put such a strain on the city’s resources that there should be a small daily tax they pay to help deal with it, noting that more than 7 million will have visited the city this year.
THE WARNING SIGNS
“It’s unfair that 650,000 permanent residents in the heart of ancient Athens should foot the bill,” Bakoyannis said. “If we want to sustain the city we need to adapt in the way that almost every other European capital has, and introduce a city tax on visitors,” he added.
With Russian airlines barred under European Union sanctions over the invasion of Ukraine, Americans have been leading the charge this year and they are coveted as ‘big spenders’ eager to travel again.
There was such demand from the United States that more direct flights were added – 63 a week – as airlines competed for them, also driving up prices for seats in the rush to get to Greece.
The country was the world’s third most favored destination in 2022, the report added, and tourism is its biggest revenue engine, bringing in as much as 25 percent of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of 208.38 billion euros ($216.2 billion) annually, and employs nearly a million people.
But most, besides discovering Athens, head straight to the same spots: the islands of Santorini, Mykonos, Corfu, Rhodes, and a few others, while bypassing those which offer a real Greek experience without crowds.
Overtourism is taxing the infrastructure of those popular spots as well as 18 UNESCO World Heritage sites being trampled under the feet of the foreigners who keep coming in a relentless cavalcade.
“Red lights are flashing,” Peter DeBrine, UNESCO’s leading tourism adviser told the paper’s Athens correspondent Helena Smith.“ We have to start asking how much is too much and 16,000 visitors clogging a monument like the Acropolis every day sounds like way too much… We have gone from over-tourism to revenge tourism with the same net effect,” he told the Guardian about the danger of having too many tourists and that a balance is needed between revenues and conservation.
“What is needed is a radically different approach which starts with consumers but extends to tourism and heritage management. It’s clear that authorities have to take measures to relieve overcrowding at world heritage sites if the tourism experience isn’t to be degraded and conservation ensured,” he said, adding that, “we realize tourism is the lifeblood for so many communities and vital to local economies but over-tourism is a real danger. Either you’re clever and you take measures or you kill the goose that lays the golden egg.”
RELATED TOPICS: Greece, Greek tourism news, Tourism in Greece, Greek islands, Hotels in Greece, Travel to Greece, Greek destinations, Greek travel market, Greek tourism statistics, Greek tourism report
Photo Source: Wikimedia Commons License: CC-BY-SA Copyright: Bryan Ledgard
- 1) Guards at e-ticketed ancient sites, museums announcing work stoppage Thursday
- 2) Cyprus displays in Nicosia once-looted antiquities dating back thousands of years
- 3) Culture Minister inaugurates renovated theater at Dion in Central Macedonia
- 4) SNF extends support for the Greek National Opera in Athens with an €11 million grant
25/07 23:18
Greek banks and EIB join forces to enhance access to finance for mid-cap firms
25/07 23:10
Hotel occupancy in Athens reaches 75.5% during the first half of 2024
25/07 23:01
25/07 21:07
Fifty-two municipalities throughout Greece embrace digital transformation
25/07 14:22
Bank of Greece: Loans and deposits by households and institutions rise in June
24/07 23:04
St. Irene Chrysovalantou Astoria marks its Annual Festival from July 25-28
24/07 22:46
Greek Finance Ministry enforces beach regulations after 4,500 citizen complaints
24/07 21:13
Greek president organizes reception for 50th anniversary of restoration of democracy
24/07 19:53
Guards at e-ticketed ancient sites, museums announcing work stoppage Thursday
24/07 16:08
Minister: Disbursement of €2.3 billion from the loan part of the Recovery Fund
22/07 23:29
Cyprus displays in Nicosia once-looted antiquities dating back thousands of years
22/07 23:25
Greek high school students clinch 6 medals at International Math Olympiad
22/07 21:37
Greek Climate Crisis Minister meets with visiting British Minister of State for Europe
22/07 21:33
Hellenic Parliament indowntown Athens undergoes energy upgrades
22/07 18:19
Book of condolences for Nguyen Phu Trong to open at Vietnamese embassy in Athens
21/07 18:05
Sharp hike in the viral load of SARS-CoV2 in the Greek city of Thessaloniki
21/07 15:29
Events for 50-years from democracy restoration in Greece start at the Presidential Mansion
21/07 14:14
Deputy Tourism Minister: Greece can emerge as a protagonist in diving tourism
21/07 13:24
19/07 00:18
UN Tourism and TUI Care Foundation jointly support African artisans in rural areas
16/07 14:47
16/07 11:55
Very high risk of fire for nine regional units across Greece on Tuesday
15/07 23:28
AADE implements mandatory digital export notification system beginning September
15/07 23:26
Hellenic Land Cadastre to be the first Greek state service to implement AI tools
15/07 21:06
US Embassy event marking July 4th: Embracing inclusion and accessibility
15/07 19:13
Athens Municipality opens air-conditioned halls during heatwave
14/07 14:39
National Tourism Organization and Netflix ink cooperation memo to promote Greece
13/07 23:31
OECD report: Greece makes significant strides in competition strengthening
10/07 22:53
Greek-American congressmen meet Greek Prime Minister in Washington DC
10/07 22:50
Greek National Gallery's 'Democracy' looks at Southern European history and art
10/07 21:56
10/07 19:59
Cypriot President visits Athens for event on 50th anniversary of Turkish invasion
10/07 15:44
09/07 22:28
The SFGFF comes to Athens in cooperation with Feelgood Entertainment
09/07 20:34
09/07 18:30
Deal for development of Sani-Kassandra property in Chalkidiki is inked
09/07 14:57
Golf & Maritime for a Good Cause at the 10th Greek Maritime Golf Event
09/07 11:56
The Ultimate Sports Event of Santorini Experience Coming to Santorini on October 3-6
08/07 22:53
Capital Link Invest in Greece webinar series continues on July 9 and 16
08/07 22:25
08/07 20:43
New data on the burial site of Lord Byron's illegitimate daughter Allegra
08/07 15:37
German ambassador: 'To live and work in Greece has always been my dream'
05/07 22:14
Greek port of Piraeus approves distribution of highest dividend in its history
04/07 23:09
Culture Minister inaugurates renovated theater at Dion in Central Macedonia
04/07 19:17
The 43rd Thessaloniki Book Festival opens at the waterfront Friday until July 21
04/07 17:20
Piraeus Port greenlights distribution of highest dividend in its history
03/07 00:24
03/07 00:02
Hotrec reveals digital trends in tourism: Hotels, Booking.com and DMA
01/07 19:28
Higher June temperatures in Greece compared to 2010–2019 average
01/07 19:13
More firefighting aircraft to reinforce firefighting efforts in Greek island of Kos
01/07 17:26
SNF extends support for the Greek National Opera in Athens with an €11 million grant
01/07 12:31
Amendment extending duration of measures against high prices tabled in Greek Parliament
28/06 19:18
Mount Pelion steam tourist train resumes daily service beginning July 1
27/06 14:36
Minister: Mycoast app received 8,911 complaints of illegal activities on beaches
26/06 22:56
Significance of OECD anti-bribery report for Greece's good image highlighted
25/06 19:08
FTI insolvency: Operational business of hotels remains unaffected
25/06 16:19
FinMin urges Greek banks to emulate European counterparts regarding commission charges
25/06 12:12
AEGEAN elected "Best Regional Airline in Europe" at the World Airline Awards 2024
25/06 10:16
Platform for Greece's 'Thessaly & Evros Pass 2024' opens on Tuesday
23/06 14:52
State Minister: Greece is the 8th cheapest country in the European Union
22/06 22:49
Bank of Greece: Travel receipts increased by 22.0% during January-April 2024
22/06 18:11
Greek Tourism Ministry and embassies cooperate to address sector issues
22/06 18:05
Wyndham inked deal with Oikos for the first Ramada Residences in Greece
21/06 17:57
Event organized to present 'The Ilisian' - the new name of the former Athens Hilton
19/06 23:47
Greek state ten-year bond auction concluded with yield at 3.56%
19/06 23:41
Shipping Minister: Greece supports EU's efforts to modernise maritime safety rules
19/06 22:32
Culture minister reviews NSRF projects on the Greek island of Lesvos
19/06 19:41
US Ambassador to Athens applauds Greece’s comeback and investors interest
19/06 11:44
Minister: Reforms must follow investments to boost regional competitiveness
18/06 18:15
ARF 2024: US Ambassador to Athens on Greece's economic miracle
18/06 16:33
Capital Region AHEPA organizes 5th Annual Golf Outing in New York
18/06 14:58
18/06 14:24
Greek Minister refers to multiple benefits from the restoration of the Athens Riviera
18/06 13:35
Regional Governor of Attica: Greeks living abroad are the most important ambassadors
17/06 19:02
Conference focuses on Sifnos and sustainable development on Greek islands
17/06 18:56
Council of State discusses relocation of Mount Parnitha casino to Marousi again
17/06 18:56
Ministers and Super League chief talk digital tickets for upcoming soccer matches
17/06 15:59
Forecast: Very high risk of fire in two Greek regions including Attica
17/06 13:42
Passenger traffic in Greek ports records an increase of 11.1% during Q4 2023
14/06 22:58
14/06 22:03
14/06 17:58
Athens and Thessaloniki added 250 new electric buses to their urban transport networks
13/06 22:43
National Theater to perform Aristophanes at ancient Greek theaters over the summer
12/06 11:48
Athens Acropolis site closed down from 12:00 to 17:00 due to high temperatures
12/06 00:01
'Poor Things' costumes exhbition at Benaki Museum in downtown Athens
11/06 15:53
Schools in Athens to stay closed on Wednesday and Thursday due to heatwave
11/06 00:10
Greek Port Authority to acquire 11 boats for transfer of patients from remote islands
11/06 00:03
Greece's Interior Ministry issues directions for remote work during heatwave
10/06 23:45
Digital app for travellers to Greece 'mAIGreece' goes live on Monday
10/06 22:28
Greek Interior Ministry issues directions for remote work during heatwave on Tuesday-Thursday
10/06 19:38
Traffic restored on new Greek national highway leading to Corinth after truck explosion
10/06 14:42
09/06 22:47
High prices of consumer goods in Greek supermarkets are on a downward trend
09/06 11:18
UK Tourism 2024: Greece named top destination in the world with best value for money
08/06 00:22
Insolvency: FTI Touristik GmbH cancels all trips up to and including 05 July 2024
07/06 02:54
ERTFLIX International takes part in the Los Angeles Greek Film Festival
07/06 02:42
NBG: Greek tourism to break record in 2024 with 35 million arrivals and €22 billion in revenue
06/06 20:50
Greece elected to UN Security Council for 2025-26 in a 'historic day'
06/06 13:57
Hellenic National Archaeological Museum presents "The last Aphrodites" exhibition
05/06 22:00
FTI provisional insolvency admin strives for fastest possible solutions for clients
Hotel occupancy in Athens reaches 75.5% during the first half of 2024
Greek banks and EIB join forces to enhance access to finance for mid-cap firms
St. Irene Chrysovalantou Astoria marks its Annual Festival from July 25-28
Greek Finance Ministry enforces beach regulations after 4,500 citizen complaints
Bank of Greece: Loans and deposits by households and institutions rise in June
Guards at e-ticketed ancient sites, museums announcing work stoppage Thursday
Fifty-two municipalities throughout Greece embrace digital transformation
Minister: Disbursement of €2.3 billion from the loan part of the Recovery Fund
Greek president organizes reception for 50th anniversary of restoration of democracy
High risk of fire for Attica, Viotia and Evia regions in Greece on Thursday
FM: Procedures underway to repatriate 149 Greeks in Israel and Palestinian territories
Greece and Turkey agree to implement or reactivate CBM activity in 2024
Greek Tourism minister meets with Swiss, Albanian ambassadors in Athens
Media report: Cheap airfares aren’t coming back according to airline execs
PM at Axia discussion: Greece offering great investment opportunities in 2023
Bill lifting restrictions for Greeks voting from abroad greenlighted by majority vote
Minister: Greece will continue to demand the return of the Parthenon Marbles
ERTFLIX International takes part in the Los Angeles Greek Film Festival
The SFGFF comes to Athens in cooperation with Feelgood Entertainment
Tri-city winter luncheon unites upstate New York Philoptochos chapters