Impact from crisis on Greek tourism remains low so far
An escalating debt crisis that may force Greece’s banks to shut next week has only slightly dented tourists’ appetite for island holidays in the country, with advance demand for package tours still robust, travel operators said this week.
Noel Josephides, chairman of Britain’s Sunvil tour operator, said June bookings had slowed and added the operator had plans in place should tourists find themselves stranded without cash.
But he added he did not expect to have to put them into action.
“Yes, at the moment, because of what’s in the press the last three or four days, the booking rates have slowed. But it’s not a big deal really,” he told Reuters.
“June is not selling well, but for July, August and September at the moment our bookings are better than they were last year.”
Josephides said Sunvil would send money to its local agents to give to its customers holidaying in Greece if ATMs ran out of money, as it did in Cyprus in 2013, and in the worst-case scenario it would fly staff out carrying cash.
Thomas Cook, the world’s oldest tour operator brand, said even a Greek exit from the eurozone would have no direct impact on its customers because of its existing contacts with hotels and airlines.
[Reuters]
