Acropolis Museum’s Annual Performance Positive Despite Covid-19

Photo © Acropolis Museum / Giorgos Vitsaropoulos

One of the world’s leading museums, the Acropolis Museum in Athens, welcomed 1,283,125 visitors from June 2019 to May 2020 despite its forced closure on March 14 due to the coronavirus outbreak.

The famed Greek museum marks its 11th anniversary over the weekend and reopened to the public after three months of lockdown.

According to its yearly report, 1,019,185 visitors arrived independently accounting for 79 percent of the total with 21 percent or 263,940 visiting in organized groups.

Source: Acropolis Museum

A total of 948,135 of the museum’s independent visitors were from the UK (5 percent), the US (19 percent), Canada (2 percent), Germany (4 percent), Italy (5 percent), China (2 percent), Greece (20 percent), Australia (3 percent), France (8 percent), and Spain (5 percent).

Source: Acropolis Museum

Over the same period, 263,940 people visited the Acropolis Museum in groups – 32 percent or 84,835 being student groups and 68 percent or 179,105 adult groups.

School groups made a total of 84,835 visits with Greek schools accounting for 56 percent and 47,274 visits and foreign schools for 44 percent and 37,561 visits.

In terms of tickets, 408,115 or 32 percent of all tickets were for free admission while 108,356 or 8 percent of the total were discounted admission.

“Restarting the museum’s operation for the public will be a challenge, as the infectious disease has not yet disappeared and health-related protective measures will certainly be strict. Nonetheless, the museum has now been thoroughly refreshed and fully expects to carry on as a flagship, aspiring not only to recover, but also to continue promoting and embracing innovation,” said Dimitrios Pandermalis, president of the Acropolis Museum.

A total of 659,041 people visited the museum virtually through its website mainly from Canada (1 percent), US (12 percent), UK (6 percent), Netherlands (1 percent), Germany (3 percent), Italy (2 percent), Greece (57 percent), France (2 percent), Spain (2 percent), and Australia (1 percent).

Source: Acropolis Museum

“The main goal for the museum in the coming years will be the continued enhancement of our exhibitions. This will include the enrichment of our presentation on the two great temples of the ancient Acropolis,” said Pandermalis.

In celebration of its 11-year anniversary, admission will be reduced on Saturday at 5 euros from 8am to 8pm and the museum’s restaurant will be open to midnight.