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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
World
Helena Smith in Athens

‘Red lights are flashing’: Athens tourism explosion threatens ancient sites

Huge groups of tourists at the Acropolis in Athens, Greece
At the height of the summer, about 16,000 holidaymakers made the daily climb up to the Acropolis. Photograph: Alexandros Beltes/EPA

Hordes of tourists huddle in groups along the cobbled boulevard beneath the Acropolis on a late November morning more summery than autumnal. Others get on and off the open-top doubledeckers running the riviera route. A man dressed as an ancient Marathon warrior poses “for a fee” with the majestic citadel in the background.

“We’re having a great year,” says the Greek tourism minister, Vassilis Kikilias. “It’s almost December and the season is still going which is exactly what we want – to extend it, bit by bit.”

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