“Make tourists pay!” say guides at ancient sites and museums

Government urged to withdraw proposal for free entry to archeological sites and museums

The government proposal for free entry to archeological sites and museums at least one Sunday per month was criticized by the Panhellenic Union of Employees for the Guarding of Antiquities (PEYFA). PEYFA claims that such a move would reduce revenue, especially due to the high season.

The group believes that travel agents would organize free visits by groups and cruises on the one free Sunday during high season and several Sundays during winter. This way they would avoid paying entry fees and cost the cultural organizations funds that are urgently required.

The union’s announcement said: “This is exactly what occurred over many years in the past and, because the state lost vast sums, this was abolished with our own intervention.”