In a bid to manage overcrowding, Greece is set to impose a daily visitor cap on its renowned Acropolis.
Commencing from September 4th, access to the Athens monument will be limited to 20,000 visitors per day under a trial initiative outlined by Culture Minister Lina Mendoni. Visitor entry will be structured into distinct time slots spanning from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.
This experimental phase is projected to evolve into a permanent arrangement starting April 1, 2024, encompassing all archaeological sites employing electronic ticketing systems.
This new change will see the volume of visitors restricted on an hourly basis. To illustrate, the span from 8 a.m. to 9 a.m. will accommodate 3,000 visitors.
Yet, some hourly intervals might observe higher levels of congestion than others.
Upon arrival, visitors won’t face constraints on the duration of their stay. However, Mendoni noted that typically, travelers in organized groups tend to explore for around 45 minutes, whereas individual visitors often delve into the experience for approximately an hour and a half.
Greece’s decision to adopt a scheduled entry system arises from the surge in visitor numbers, which at times have soared in the summer months.
Generally, around 50 percent of visitors prefer accessing the site during the morning hours, particularly between 8 a.m. and 12 p.m. This inclination is particularly because it gets so hot in the afternoon. As they say, the early bird gets the worm!
Travelers seeking to evade the masses (and the warmer temperatures) might contemplate a trip to Greece during the winter season when tourist figures markedly decrease, and the climate hovers around 50 degrees Fahrenheit.
In addition to crowd management, Greece has also taken strides to enhance accessibility for visitors with disabilities by incorporating an elevator into the Acropolis infrastructure.
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