ATHENS – Amid complaints that Greece is catering to the elite – with private resorts taking over public beaches – the rich are also being given private escorted tours of the Acropolis before the crowds come and after it closes, to get a good view of the sunset.

It costs 5,000 euros ($5,450) each but gives those with deep enough pockets to afford it to avoid the hordes that are elbow to elbow during hours when the famed ancient site is open, and a close up of the Parthenon without anyone in the way.

The British newspaper Express said that it has irked some in Greece because it’s adding to the idea that the government is pulling out all the stops for the wealthy and affluent tourists it’s pursuing eagerly.

https://www.express.co.uk/news/world/1920554/tourists-given-vip-access-acropolis-athens

The private tours are offered early in the morning and in the evening, before and after public opening hours, the paper said, citing other media reports, but that hasn’t sat well with people who have to wait in line and jostle when it’s open.

Kostas Paschalidis, President of the Greek archaeologists’ union said: “VIPs can enjoy the sunset atop the Acropolis while those less fortunate watch from below, deprived of this privilege,” lamenting the practice.

At the foot of the Acropolis, Kostis Karpozilos, spokesperson for the New Left party of dissidents who broke away from SYRIZA, took part in a protest against what they called the “touristification” of the Greek capital.

He told Radio France Internationale (RFI) “This measure clearly shows our leaders’ priorities: everything for tourism, everything for turning culture into merchandise, and everything for transforming Greece into a giant EuroDisney park for tourists.”

He added that, “All this naturally has consequences on Athenians’ daily lives, such as converting homes into hotels,” referring to short-term rental platforms like Airbnb emptying neighborhoods of residents in favor of tourists.

“Perhaps such visits for the wealthy could be acceptable if part of the money collected was used to subsidize school visits, for example. Not just for profit,” he said, no accounting of where the money goes.

The report said that Greek media indicated the first to get a private tour was a Russian couple, accompanied by their private guide but it wasn’t said if others had taken the opportunity for private access.

The union of Greek archaeological site guards expressed opposition “to how these private tours are organized without their participation,” its president Georgia Kondyli told Agence France-Presse.

She added: “We had no information about how these tours were organized.” Designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, the Acropolis of Athens, constructed in the 5th Century BC,is limited to 20,000 visitors a day.