Acropolis succumbs to debt crisis as Greece cuts filming costs

Athens : The Acropolis, Greece's star attraction for 2,500 years, may be preparing for a bigger role.

The Greek government lowered the permit costs this month for using archaeological sites and museums for film crews to €1,600 (Dh7,526) a day from as much as €4,000 in a 2005 price-list, and for professional photographers to €200 from €300, according to the Culture and Tourism Ministry. Historical spots include the Acropolis, which is the site of the Parthenon.

The previous prices were "excessive" and this prevented some groups from being able to use images of Greece, George Andreas Zannos, an adviser to the ministry, said in an e-mailed response to questions on Tuesday.

Discounts

Cash-strapped Greece is trying to squeeze more money out of its monuments as the government battles to avert a debt default and collapse of the country's economy.

The cost to use pictures of state-owned sites and museums in publications, from art history books and encyclopedias to tourist guides and magazines, was cut to as low as €30 per shot from €100, based on statements dated October 2005 and January this year from the ministry in Athens.

A list of monuments, including the Temple of Poseidon at Sounion, will be included in a €60 per shot category, according to the new price-list. All categories will now carry discounts after the first ten photographs.

Previously, "publishers refrained from publishing books with images of archaeological content and museums" and sites lacked guides and books with images, Zannos said. All revenue will be used by the ministry, he said.