Museum, archaeological site visits up in May

The number of visitors to Greece's famed archaeological sites and museums rose by 18.2 percent in May this year compared to last, official figures published on Friday showed.

According to the Hellenic Statistical Authority (ELSTAT), free-admission visits grew 20.2 percent year-on-year, while takings from tickets increased 18.7 percent.

Visits to archaeological sites in May rose 21.5 percent, with free-admission visitors up by 28.8 percent and ticket takings by 18.5 percent. Museum visits, meanwhile, grew 18.2 percent, with a 20.2 percent rise in free-admission entries and 19.7 percent in takings.

In the first five months of 2018, archaeological sites performed better than museums, with visits to the former rising 19.4 percent (15.1 pct free-admission and takings 20 pct) and to the latter 9.2 percent (5.5 pct free-admission and takings 14.3 pct).