Little to see with Acropolis gates closed
Few tourists were to be seen in central Athens yesterday, as striking Culture Ministry employees shut down the Acropolis site in protest at the government not renewing their work contracts. The workers, who had blocked the entrance to the ancient citadel last week for three days, have threatened to continue their protest action regardless of the impact on the country’s vital tourism industry. The tourism sector, which draws some 17 million people each year to Greece, is seen as being severely tested by the global crisis this year. Some economists believe the drop in tourism arrivals this year will be at least 10 percent. Tourism groups have stopped short of providing any official estimates for the season, citing their inability to forecast due to the downturn.
