By Stefania Souki

Two-digit increase in visits and revenues were recorded in museums and archaeological sites across Greece for the first nine months of 2017 based on Greek Statistics Authority.

In particular, the total of visitors in January-September 2017 rose to 13.54 million (+17.8%) from 11.5 million over the nine-month period of 2016. In total, revenue amounted to € 86.2 million from € 72.8 million in the previous year in the first nine months of 2016, a rise of 18.4%. Note that for the whole of 2016 the receipts amounted to €86.65 million and for the year before, 2015, to € 56.2 million. The overall total of visitors for the whole of 2016 was at 14.1 million and in 2015 to 14.72 million.

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By sub-category, based on ELSTAT data, during the nine-month period January-September 2017, there is an increase over the corresponding 2016 period 16.8% to museum visitors and an increase of 18.2% to visitors free of entry, reaching 4.17 million while the respective receipts increased by 20.7%.

In the archaeological sites during the nine months of January-September 2017 with respect to in the corresponding period of 2016, there is an increase of visitors by 18.2% and an increase by 22% of visitors to free admissions, reaching a total of 9.37 million while the corresponding receipts increased by 18%.

In September 2017 compared to the corresponding month of 2016, it was observed an increase in visitors to museums by 13%, an increase in free entry visitors 11% and revenue growth of 15.8%.

In the archaeological sites, in the same month, there is an increase of visitors by 12,1% a 20.2% increase in free entry visitors and an increase of 9.5% compared to the corresponding month of 2016.