Museums see drop in visits and revenues
The drop in incoming and domestic tourism this year has had a direct impact on the revenues and the number of visitors to museums and archaeological sites in Greece.
Hellenic Statistical Authority (ELSTAT) data showed on Thursday that revenues from visits to such sites declined by 21.1 percent in the year to July, or by 5.4 million euros compared with the same period last year, dropping to 20.4 million euros. In the first seven months of 2011, revenues came to 25.8 million euros.
The number of visitors to museums around the country dropped 4 percent, with the biggest contraction seen at Acropolis Museum (21.7 percent). The largest increases were in visits to the National Archaeological Museum in Athens (72.7 percent) and the Ancient Olympia Museum in the Peloponnese (41.7 percent).
An encouraging sign was the 5.3 percent rise in the number of visitors to archaeological sites.
