Chinese angry with detention
The Chinese Embassy in Athens told Kathimerini yesterday that the detention of 58 Chinese tourists for more than a day by police at Athens International Airport was a cause of «deep dissatisfaction» because all the members of the party had valid visas. The tourists arrived in Athens on Monday in two groups and were detained at the airport. Police said yesterday that they had initial information which indicated the travel agencies with which the tourists were traveling were suspected of being linked to illegal immigration. Officers said that they could also not confirm bookings for the Chinese group at any European hotels. A call to the Greek Consulate in Shanghai, however, confirmed that all 58 members of the group had been granted visas to enter Greece. Chinese Embassy officials said they could not understand why «Chinese tourists with valid visas had been detained at the airport for 25 hours.» Greece has been trying to encourage tourism from China since last year’s Athens Olympics.
