Greece to Limit Visitors, Stagger Entry to the Acropolis of Athens Starting September

The number of visitors to the Acropolis of Athens will be limited to 20,000 per day with staggered entry starting in September, according to reports. 

Greece’s culture minister, Lina Mendoni, announced the change during an interview on the Greek radio station Real FM this week. She noted that the historic site gets up to 23,000 daily visitors, with half of them arriving before noon, although it is open from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. 

“That is a huge number,” Mendoni said. “Tourism is obviously desirable for the country and for all of us, but we must work out how overtourism won’t harm the monument.” 

Crowding at the Acropolis also “creates unpleasant conditions for the site, the visitors, and the staff who are trying to accommodate this high volume of people,” she added. 

The Acropolis, a UNESCO World Heritage site, is home to several ancient structures, ruins, and artifacts, most famously the Parthenon, a temple built during the 5th century for the Greek goddess Athena. 

The new visiting system, which will roll out in early September, will cap entry into the Acropolis at a certain number of visitors each hour. Greece also plans to implement this system next year for other archaeological sites that accept electronic tickets. 

Around the world, there are several tourist attractions that either limit entry or have timed entry tickets. For example, the Parc de Guell in Barcelona, also a UNESCO World Heritage Site, requires online ticket buyers to select the date and time that they will attend.  

In New York City, the Empire State Building also requires a timed reservation, as does France’s Palace of Versailles.