Greece’s Culture Ministry has decided to transfer the management of toilets and lockers at leading archaeological sites in Athens, including the Acropolis, to a private company. The decision is causing strong reactions.
This basic services to visitors will be charged with 1 euro for the use of toilet and 2 euros for lockers, according to the tender approved on April 14, 2026.
Based on the announcement, a total of 78 sanitary facilities will be transferred to private exploitation. Of these, 49 are located in locations around the Acropolis – in the archaeological site itself, in the Old Museum, in the Dionysios Areopagitos and on the Eastern Slope – while the remaining 29 are distributed in Kerameikos, the Ancient Agora and the Stoa of Attalos. At the same time, 160 lockers are planned to operate along the Dionysios Areopagitos.
It is striking that in many museums and archaeological sites abroad, corresponding services are offered free of charge by the state.
The contract stipulates that the contractor must have the infrastructure fully operational – along with the automatic access control systems – within 60 days of the contract signing. The duration of the agreement is set at six years, with the possibility of extension for another six.
The decision comes at a time when the cost of visiting key archaeological sites has already increased significantly: the ticket for the Acropolis is 30 euros, for the Ancient Agora 20 euros, for the Olympian Temple also 20 euros and for the Kerameikos 10 euros, further burdening visitors.
Strong reactions from unions
Employees at the the Culture Ministry and certified tour guides have reacted to the decision to charge for the use of toilets and lockers at the Acropolis and other archaeological sites in Athens.
“The Ministry of Culture and the Cultural Resources Management & Development Organization (ODAP) refuse to fulfill their basic role, which is to manage archaeological sites in a way that makes them accessible, educational and functional for visitors,” they said in a statement.
“Despite hundreds of millions in ticket revenue, they refuse to hire the necessary permanent staff to provide the basic and essential services to visitors to these venues, favoring fixed-term contracts and private companies,” the statement added.
PS In the Acropolis alone:
4,500,000 million visitors per year
22 euros average ticket excluding taxes
99,000,000 euros annual revenue
…and they can’t even cover a basic service like the toilets use, and they will charge visitors while a private company will be in charge and cash? What a disgrace!
Greed is ruling the world.😡
OK, lockers are not strictly necessary but toilets certainly are, especially for families with children (or the older generation). Won’t this just encourage people to go ‘freestyle’ anywhere and everywhere? The government wouldn’t be happy with that – or do they even care? Probably not, only the money counts.