'Greece open for business', say tourism bosses as German travellers report hostility

By Travelmail Reporter

Published: 06:13 EST, 23 May 2012 | Updated: 10:15 EST, 23 May 2012


The Greek tourism association has issued a statement to reassure travellers that their holidays are safe, despite predictions that the country could be about to leave the euro.

The Association of Greek Tourism Enterprises (SETE) claimed that 80 per cent of citizens were actually in favour of the country remaining part of the eurozone and said now was the perfect time to visit the Mediterranean holiday destination.

However, the reassurance may have come too late for some holidaymakers, with German travel firms reporting a 30 per cent drop in bookings for Greece after claims of some Germans being subjected to animosity and even violence in the country.

Over view of smugglers cove outside Argassi in Greece

Business as usual: Greece has reassured worried holidaymakers that their summer travel plans are safe

Reports of clashes over the hard austerity measures demanded by Chancellor Angela Merkel in return for bailouts are keeping the world's biggest spenders on foreign holidays away from Greece.    

Air Berlin, Germany's second largest airline, and Rewe, the retail and tourism group both said on Tuesday that bookings to Greece were around 30 percent below that of last year.   

'Greece is doing very badly, just like North Africa,' Air Berlin chief executive Hartmut Mehdorn said.     

In contrast, Travelzoo in the UK said it had seen an upsurge in bookings for all-inclusive holidays to Greece, despite a dip in people booking flights to the country.

British travellers are said to be snapping up packages that are discounted by up to 60 per cent, prompting an increase in booking by a third.

The holidaymakers can organise their trips safe in the knowledge that a tour operator has to protect them in the event anything goes wrong.

In contrast, the number of people booking flights to Greece and organising their own accommodation has dropped by 25 per cent, as if the holiday is disrupted there is minimal support for travellers.

SETE highlighted that the strong pound means British holidaymakers can enjoy the best exchange rate since 2008 and said many hotels and apartments are offering good deals.

It also said that even if the much-debated currency change does happen, Greek banks are solvent and have a guaranteed solvency by the European Central Bank which means that any holidaymakers caught up in the switch would be able to make financial transactions as usual.

Dr. Andreas Andreadis, president of SETE said: 'We are trying to change the way our country and its economy is run, however, this is not going to affect the quality of a holiday. Greece remains one of the top destinations in the world and we reassure holidaymakers that this summer remains business as usual.'

Holiday companies have also reassured Britons that they are keeping a close eye on the situation in Greece, with the likes of TUI - which owns Thomson and First Choice - saying it had 'contingency plans in place'.

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