Knossos, the Minoan palace, became a veritable “gold mine” in 2023, earning more money than in 2019 and making it the most lucrative archaeological site on Crete. As a result of this incredible achievement, the famous site contributed 60% of the overall income from all of Crete’s museums and archaeological sites.
The “golden” age of the Minoan palace was 2023, when ticket sales reached all-time highs. The island’s museums and archaeological sites have brought in more than 18.5 million euros despite doubts about the value of investing in cultural and historical resources.
Knossos, the most valuable cultural asset on the island of Crete, raked in an unprecedented 11 million euros. In addition to this success, the Archaeological Museum of Heraklion saw a massive uptick in visitors and revenue, and the island of Spinalonga firmly established itself as the number two tourist destination in the region, just after Knossos.
Museum and archaeological site attendance on the island of Crete has increased dramatically in recent years, thanks to the island’s thriving tourism economy. In contrast, according to figures collected by EL.STAT, Knossos achieved a record-breaking 10,968,521 euros in ticket sales in 2023—the second-highest annual visitor total behind the Acropolis—and welcomed approximately 1,000,000 tourists.
This unprecedented amount has sparked hopes that ticket sales might reach over 15 million euros this year, particularly in light of the 30% price rise on April 1st, 2024, assuming attendance stays around or exceeds 1 million.
Daily counts reached 1,000 or even 2,000 on cruise ship days at the Palace of Minos, which began to experience an inflow of tourists as early as mid-March. During the summer, these numbers surged, and visitors dutifully waited in line to see the Minoan Age marvels despite the unbearable heat and cramped conditions.
Inscription on the UNESCO World Heritage List is now underway, adding Knossos and other Minoan palaces on Crete to the list of world-renowned sites that are popular year-round, regardless of the season.
In-depth 2023 Statistics
According to EL.STAT., an astounding 1,390,214 people visited the ancient sites in the Heraklion Regional Unit in 2023, with 959,110 people visiting Knossos. With 831,320 visitors in 2022, the number of visitors to Knossos in 2023 increased by 15.4 %. The Heraklion Museum also significantly increased by 18.1%, with 294,839 visits.
Following closely after with 171,668 tourists, the Koules stronghold became the second most famous landmark in the prefecture of Heraklion. Even though tourists usually slow down in the winter, Knossos and Koules kept selling tickets and making money.
With 213,145 tourists in July, 245,481 in August, and 207,133 in September, Knossos had its busiest season. July saw 28,271 visits, August 30,330, and September 28,824, all within the same time frame for Koules.
With an estimated 11 million euros from Knossos alone, the overall income from Crete’s archaeological sites totalled 15,917,747 euros. With 2.3 million euros coming from Spinalonga, the rest came from the other locations. With contributions of 2,424,352 euros from the Archaeological Museum of Heraklion and 199,869 euros from the Museum of Chania, the island’s museums brought in an extra 2,666,530 euros.
With a staggering 18.5 million euros (18,574,277 euros, to be exact), Crete’s historical and cultural capital shows room for improvement in areas like preservation, restoration, enrichment, and marketing to attract even more visitors.
Among Greece’s museums and ancient sites, Knossos and the Heraklion Museum have historically brought in more money than any other institution this year. Nevertheless, they surpassed all expectations in 2023.
A remarkable 105.4% rise from December 2022 to December 2023 brought visitors to Knossos, which bodes well for the forthcoming 2024 tourism season. December 2023 witnessed 18,144 visitors, up from 8,834 in December 2022, suggesting a solid year for Knossos.
In a nutshell:
- Knossos generated 11 million euros in revenue, accounting for 60% of the total revenue from all archaeological sites and museums in Crete.
- The total revenue from Crete’s archaeological sites reached 15,917,747 euros, with Knossos contributing approximately 11 million.
- The revenue from Crete’s museums totalled 2,666,530 euros, with the Archaeological Museum of Heraklion accounting for 2,424,352 euros.
- The total number of visitors to archaeological sites in the Heraklion Regional Unit was 1,390,214, with 959,110 visiting Knossos.
- Knossos saw a 15.4% increase in visitors compared to 2022, while the Heraklion Museum had an 18.1% rise.
- Also, in the Heraklion Regional Unit, Koules fortress attracted 171,668 visitors, making it the next most visited monument after Knossos.
- Knossos experienced peak visitation in July (213,145 visitors), August (245,481 visitors), and September (207,133 visitors).