Greece - To Boldly Go? Or Not?

Ελλάδα - γενναία θα πάω; Ή μήπως όχι;

 

The current uncertainty re Greece's  future within or outside the Eurozone (and the Euro) should be decided by next Sunday's 17th June's Greek Elections.  It seems that everyone from currency traders to tourists are presently holding back from respectively trading the Euro or booking holidays.  Tourism accounts for over 16% of the Greek economy normally and is a vital part of it for Greece.  With overseas media playing on the risk of riots and violence and the possibility of Greece reverting to the Drachma it is not surprising that bookings for Greece are down.  Uncertainty about stability and the possibility of  failing local businesses like hotels are outweighing the attractions of the Mediterranean climate and the possibilty of value for money holidays.  Interestingly a survey by travel meta-site Skyscanner recently also revealed that Greece is still more expensive for a one-week holiday than Portugal, Spain, Morocco, France and Egypt.  However, Greek package holiday discounting continues and once (and if) the election results show that the country is willing to accept the austerity measures required to keep Greece within the Eurozone there should be some excellent deals to be had. 

If the election results reject austerity and the Drachma returns, then there could initially be problems with fuel and food distribution and the possibility of civil disorder.  Having said that, it is usually the big cities which suffer disturbances.  For example, when Cairo was erupting during the protests to remove President Mubarak, the holiday resorts were not apparently affected -  Resort towns know that their livelyhoods depend on tourism after all.   Remember also that many major Greek holiday destinations are  islands like Kefalonia - Corfu - Rhodes - Skiathos.    Being distant from the political axis of Athens the islanders have a significant vested interest in preserving their tourism industries rather than scaring tourists away. 

Thus recent media advice to book packages with reputable and well-known bonded travel companies is the certainly best way to go to Greece rather than booking independently.  This gives the holidaymaker a large degree of certainty regarding protecting costs and also providing repatriation should the holiday be spoilt in any way.  Do not therefore cross Greece off your holiday destination list yet - wait for the election this coming week-end and check out the great offers that are bound to be available once that uncertainty is out of the way..... Here's a thought tho' you could always hedge your bets and check out an ATOL protected fly-cruise in the Agean.   Ships can be diverted s in the unlikely event the port of call is affected by any problems ashore - the weather is the same as ashore and you get to see different places - worth thinking about!