Overwhelming' Acropolis queues a challenge for visitors

ATHENS

American visitor Caroline Kutek had just completed a tour of the Acropolis, Greece's most-visited archaeological site. As beautiful as the 2,500-year-old monument was, the huge crowds were just as memorable, she grumbled.

"The wait and the amount of people that are here are definitely overwhelming," the 30-year-old customer services operator told AFP on a recent June morning, within sight of the hundreds of people queueing on the winding uphill path to the attraction, a common occurrence.

At least 14,000 people visited the Acropolis in May, about 70 percent more than in 2022, according to the Greek state organization for the management of cultural resources (ODAP).

After purchasing their ticket at the entrance, visitors must queue a second time before climbing the stairs of the Propylaea, the gateway of the sanctuary dedicated to the ancient Greek goddess Athena.

World Heritage Watch is a non-governmental organisation that supports UNESCO in protecting and safeguarding sites of international importance.

It says the Acropolis currently lacks visitor management plans required under the UN watchdog's World Heritage Convention, to which Greece is a signatory.

WHW chair Stephan Doempke said that the site had experienced "over-tourism" for many years and was now at risk.

"A site of global importance as the Acropolis... is not in good condition, and is at risk, if it lacks a management plan and an understanding of how to deal with tourists," he said.

On such occasions, between 2 and 3 thousand people may arrive, causing waits to increase to over an hour, says veteran guard Ioannis Mavrikopoulos, who has worked at the Acropolis for 30 years.

The ministry is now planning a time slot system to spread out visitors during the day, said Patsarouhas, adding that it would be gradually introduced by the end of June.