EUROZONE-GREECE/SANTORINI TOURISTS Santorini tourists hopeful amid Greek crisis

Record ID: 147824

  • Title: EUROZONE-GREECE/SANTORINI TOURISTS Santorini tourists hopeful amid Greek crisis
  • Date: 9th July 2015
  • Summary: SANTORINI, GREECE (JULY 8, 2015) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF OIA CASTLE WHERE PEOPLE GATHER TO WATCH THE SUNSET VARIOUS OF TOURISTS WATCHING SUNSET FROM THE CASTLE DONKEYS WALKING IN A LINE ALONG PATH VARIOUS OF TOURISTS TAKING PICTURES TOURISTS WATCHING SUNSET AND TAKING PICTURES VARIOUS OF SUNSET OVER THE AEGEAN SEA (SOUNDBITE) (English) AMERICAN TOURIST, DOROTHY DERAPELIAN, SA
  • Embargoed: 24th July 2015 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Greece
  • Country: Greece
  • Topics: General
  • Reuters ID: LVA98QMOZ7X8AP74CIK6HKGAP7L8
  • Aspect Ratio: 16:9
  • Story Text: The Greek tourist island of Santorini is one of the country's most iconic landmarks, with tourists visiting year round to see its quaint whitewash buildings, swim in the clear waters of the Aegean Sea and enjoy the sun and spectacular views.
    And as the sun went down on Wednesday (July 8) evening, a few dozen tourists sat on a rock in Ioa's castle to get a picture.
    Tourism makes up a major chunk of the Greek economy and the country can not afford to lose its strongest asset with the debt crisis.
    The Tourism Confederation said on Wednesday it has seen a 30 percent drop in last-minute bookings, which typically account for one-fifth of bookings to the country.
    But it also said a swift resolution of the crisis with Greece's international creditors, who gave the government an end-of-week deadline to come up with solutions, would give the industry time to make up for the loss.
    Travel website Opodo.de said Greece flight bookings from Germany suddenly dropped after June 26, when talks broke down between Greece and its eurozone creditors.
    Between June 27 and July 6, daily flight bookings from Germany have been down most days by around 30-35 percent from the previous year, with one day showing a decrease of 68 percent, it said in data made available to Reuters.
    Other German travel sites Kayak.de and Swoodoo.de said flights to Greece were down 8 percent compared with the previous year in the week before the July 5 referendum on bailout terms.
    Skyscanner.de said searches for flights were down 10 percent and flight prices had dropped around 7 percent.
    The reduction in bookings seems particularly to affect Germans.
    Skyscanner said earlier this week that interest from Britain and Spain had actually increased. Some European tourists were switching holiday plans to Greece from Tunisia following an attack on tourists there.
    American tourist Dorothy Derapelian said she would recommend the country to everyone.
    "This is an absolutely beautiful country, and it's so sad that all this is going on in the midst of all this beauty. I wish that everybody comes to Greece, because Greece needs help," she said.
    Chilean tourist Sandra said her worries over the financial crisis were unfounded.
    "The crisis makes one feel a little bit afraid to come here, to get closer to this place, but when actually get there, you realise you don't have to have any fear," she said.
    "Here, there is a lot of money, here everything is nice, beautiful, pink. Everything is magical," said French tourist Romain.
    Capital controls imposed since June 29, which limit withdrawals from cash machines and payments abroad, mean governments have advised tourists visiting Greece to bring euros in cash for spending money.
    Several airlines, including Emirates, Qatar Airways and Turkish Airlines , have stopped allowing Greek travel agents to sell their tickets, said Lysandros Tsilidis, president of the Hellenic Association of Travel and Tourist Agencies.
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