by Donald Wood
Last updated: 8:00 AM ET, Tue October 20, 2015
Photo courtesy of GNTO
Say hello to higher prices at the most popular museums and archeological sites in Greece.
To help boost government revenue, the Central Archaeological Council of Greece announced last week that it would be raising prices at the country's popular tourist attractions starting on Jan. 1.
In a report from Kalyeena Makortoff of CNBC.com, the Federal Hellenic Association of Travel and Tourist Agencies (FHATTA) is standing against the new ruling, saying that the Central Archaeological Council should be using a three-year plan to increase prices in order to keep the country competitive in the tourism industry.
FHATTA released a statement via CNBC.com, saying, "The Greek tourist offices have already absorbed the increase in the valued added tax... in the midst of the tourist season... and cannot afford to absorb these huge increases in fares."
While exact costs have not been revealed, reports suggest that sites like the Acropolis Museum and the National Archaeological Museum are two of the most popular sites expected to see an increase in price. The Greek government also believes it will make an estimated $24 million extra by raising prices.
Tourism is a huge part of the Greek economy and important to its success moving forward after a $98 billion bailout deal earlier this year. The World Travel and Tourism Council reported that 7 percent of the country's total gross domestic product was credited to the travel industry in 2014.
The World Travel and Tourism Council also believes tourism in Greece will climb 3.6 percent this year and each year until 2025.
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