世界遺産アクロポリス、１組８７万円のプライベートツアー開始

【アテネＡＦＰ＝時事】パルテノン神殿などの遺跡があるギリシャの首都アテネのアクロポリスで、入場料１組につき５０００ユーロ（約８７万円）のプライベートツアーが始まった。ガイド組合は正式なガイドが排除されるとして反発している。（写真はアテネのアクロポリスを訪れた観光客）
　アクロポリスは、国連教育科学文化機関（ユネスコ）の世界遺産にも登録されている。運営管理を行う文化・スポーツ省の部局「ヘレニック・ヘリテージ」のウェブサイトによると、プライベートツアー「アクロポリス・エクスペリエンス」は火、金、土曜日の週３日、通常の営業時間外の午前７時および午後８時にスタートする。
　同時に４組まで参加可能で、１組当たりの人数は５人まで。
　国内メディアによれば、最初のツアーは６月２９日に実施され、ロシア人カップルが参加した。ガイドは自分たちで手配したという。
　ヘレニック・ヘリテージは２日、７月１２日からガイドなしのツアーを、８月２日からはガイド付きのツアーを開始すると発表した。ガイドの言語は英語、フランス語、ドイツ語、ギリシャ語、ポルトガル語、ロシア語、スペイン語の中から選べる。
　プライベートツアーの構想は昨年公表されたが、ガイド組合は、正式なガイドへの依頼がなくなるとして反発していた。
　アクロポリスには昨年、前年比３１％増の約４００万人と過去最多の観光客が訪れた。夏季には１日当たり最大２万３０００人が押し寄せた。【翻訳編集ＡＦＰＢＢＮｅｗｓ】
〔ＡＦＰ＝時事〕（2024/07/03-19:28）

The Acropolis in Athens, one of the world's most visited ancient monuments, has begun offering private visits for 5,000 euros ($5,400), setting off protests from the site's guards.
According to the official website of the culture ministry unit that manages the hilltop site, these group visits will be held outside of normal opening hours and are limited to a maximum of five people each.
Normal visits cost 20 euros or 30 euros for a combined ticket with other sites.
The Acropolis Experience now offers visitors the exclusive opportunity to enjoy this perfect architectural expression of the Greek spirit in private, says the Hellenic Heritage website.
Up to four group visits can take place at a time, beginning at 7:00 am or 8:00 pm on Tuesdays, Fridays and Saturdays.
According to Greek media, the first such private visit took place on Saturday with a Russian couple and their private guide.
On Tuesday, the site was offering unguided visits starting July 12 and with guides starting August 2. The site says tours can be conducted in English, French, German, Greek, Portuguese, Russian and Spanish.
The programme set off controversy when it was first announced last year, and the union that represents guards at archaeology sites said it opposes these private visits that by-pass the usual official guides.
The union had not been given any information about how these visits are organised, said the union's president Georgia Kondyli.
We can understand that there is a financial need behind this measure, but it could have been organised differently, Kondyli added.
Ranked as a UNESCO World Heritage Site and built in the fifth century BC, the Acropolis has attracted ever growing number of tourists, driven in part by cruise ship passengers.
The site includes the celebrated Parthenon temple, built to honour Athena, the Greek capital's patron goddess.
It received a record four million visitors last year or an increase of 31 percent from the previous year, with up to 23,000 a day during the summer, forcing the organisation that manages the country's historic sites to institute timed visits.
The rise in visitors came even as the Acropolis closed for several days during a severe July heatwave.
Greece's centre-right government has been accused of trying to introduce more private management into the country's museums and antique sites, which brought in more than 120 million euros to the state coffers in 2022.
In February 2023, parliament approved a law that facilitated sending precious antiquities for display in foreign museum expositions, a reform that many archaeologists opposed out of fear it would open the way to long-term exports of unique items.