Dip in tourism at Olympia
Following the fire that threatened to destroy the site of Ancient Olympia, tourism in the area has also taken a hit, as a number of operators told Kathimerini that they have canceled trips over the next two weeks. The cancellations have come mostly as a result of tour operators not wanting to show visitors around the site, which was badly damaged by the fire on Sunday. Firefighters were able to stop the blaze just meters from the museum but artifacts were damaged in a storage area that belongs to the German Archaeological Institute. The fire also burned trees on the sacred Kronio Hill. However, help could soon be on the way as the mayor of Munich, Christian Ude, yesterday sent a letter to President KarolosPapoulias to inform him that the German city wants to contribute toward the restoration of Ancient Olympia. Munich, which hosted the modern Olympics in 1972, has offered 100,000 euros to help reforest Kronio Hill. It has also offered to train Greek firemen at its firefighting academy.
