Greece in Economic Crisis and Your Travel Dreams

 

Rick Steves checking out the impact of the economic crisis in Greece

With all the news about Greece’s economic problems, people are wondering whether it’s a good time to go there or not. I’ve surveyed my Tour Department and our Greek guides who live and work in Greece, and here’s my report.

We’re running our Athens and the Heart of Greece tours this year as normal (the next tour, going out in a couple of weeks, is full with 23 on board). While Greece tour sales are slow (9 tours in 2012 compared with 14 tours in 2011) and we’re not adding extra departures, we expect each of our tours to go full this year. My guides report that our Greece tours so far this spring have been as smooth and fun as ever — virtually unaffected by the local political and economic events

The big concern among the hotels and restaurants we use in Greece is whether they’ll be able to survive the downturn in tourism as many postpone their travels there, fearing “instability.” And many sights are running on their shorter winter schedules for lack of money to staff the longer summer hours.

People wonder about Greece and the euro. At a recent foreign currency seminar, we were told that if Greece pulls out of the Eurozone and reverts to the drachma, it wouldn’t happen overnight but take place over about a six-month transition. Greece’s parliamentary elections — the results of which will determine the currency direction — are on June 17. If Greeks opt to abandon the euro and go back to the drachma, foreign travelers to Greece should encounter no difficulty using euros at least through the end of 2012. Whenever and wherever I travel, I pack along a few hundred dollars of hard cash in case of a temporary closure of banks or ATMs. I’d advise that when travelling in Greece (or anywhere else).

I’ve reviewed surveys from tour members who completed our Athens and the Heart of Greece tours in the last month. Here are some comments directly from these travelers about the reception they received in Greece and the impact of the economic problems there on their travels:

“We had some reservations about taking our tour to Greece because of the economy and recent rioting there. But while there, we found the people to be so gracious and thankful that we were visiting there and helping them with our dollars in their time of need. Please don’t hesitate to go there! Americans are all about helping others, and the citizens there have all taken a huge financial hit. What better way to make an impact than by contributing to their economy while visiting a beautiful country, enjoying wonderful food, and seeing ancient history.”

“The news media is, perhaps, causing people to remove Greece as a possible destination. After taking our Greece tour, I believe this is a mistake. I hope ETBD helps to encourage a visit to this lovely country. The people are friendly and generous. Sites are accessible, English is spoken well and readily. We had a great time.”

“I felt safe and welcomed among the Greek people. A couple of tour days were very vigorous, but they needed to be in order to see the sites and associated museums. It would have been nice to have more time at some of the ruins, but the Greek government was only keeping them open until 3 p.m. due to budget cutbacks so there was nothing our tour guides could do to alter that situation.”

“After taking our tour, we think this was a great time to visit Greece. The hospitality of the people we met was great, we felt very well taken care of, and our business was certainly appreciated.”

“Greece needs visitors. Sure, we were a little uncertain about going given what the international media has reported on the economic situation. But we found that, other than that one little Metro slowdown in Athens, our tour was perfect. Everyone was gracious and the country is spectacular.”

One of our guides sent me this note from Athens:

Hi Rick. I was asked to send you a few thoughts about Greece. First and foremost, Greece is a safe place to visit. In fact, it’s a good time to visit because you will be made especially welcome. Tourism is Greece’s heavy industry and its leading employer.

It seems to me that US media coverage of Greece has been nothing less than hysterical — just plain silly at times, and woefully lacking in analysis. Greeks are emotional people, and they are given to outbursts of anger — as well as outbursts of joy. Their bad governments in recent times have given them plenty of reasons to be angry. The scenes in Syntagma, the big square immediately in front of the Greek parliament building, are a symptom of this — and act as a release valve. These scenes occur only when the parliament is voting on the hated austerity measures. When you see riots on TV, they are generally the work of a group of anarchists who are limited to Syntagma and know how to get on the news.

The big debate politically is austerity (from the right) versus no austerity (from the left). Until this all sorts itself out, I would recommend that travelers do not wear “Angela Merkel” masks. Regardless of how the debate turns out, and who emerges as the new government, Greeks of all political stripes will take care of tourism, so vital to its struggling economy. The Greeks, a welcoming people at any time, will be doubly appreciative of any visitors in these difficult circumstances.

The main impact on travelers as Greece struggles through this period will be: shorter hours of sights; intermittent strikes; and friends and loved ones back home wondering if Americans traveling in Greece are okay. From my experience, they are more than okay…they are enjoying a wonderful vacation in a wonderful and more-welcoming-then-ever corner of Europe.

Comments

15 Replies to “Greece in Economic Crisis and Your Travel Dreams”

  1. I have been considering a trip to Greece. I am still considering. The pluses of going are that crowds might be a bit fewer; merchants might try harder; prices might not be as high at all establishments; and even a return to the drachma could make things less expensive as the drachma could make Greece a more desirable destination than the euro. The negatives are that there may be more strikes; and natives could try to make a point by demonstrating strongly against austerity and doing it where they can get the most national and international media coverage. So while Nafplio might be calm with no strikes, you might not be so fortunate in Athens. Unfortunately, people don’t always do what seems rational to us (protect tourism) but they often do what’s reasonable for THEM. I don’t travel that often anymore. When I do, I try to eliminate as many variables as possible. I do think that Steves’ guides are savvy and good at steering travelers away from problems if they have any inkling of them.

  2. I was in Egypt for 2 weeks just before the rioting began last year. Our flight left Cairo 5 days before the world watched the beginning of a revolution that seems unlikely to sort itself out for years, and I can’t help but imagine what might have happened if our trip had been a week later. Even if we would have been able to find a safe place to wait it out (as most tourist were seemingly able to do), what might the financial costs have been of having to spend extra weeks away from our jobs? What would the emotional/fear impact have been on us?

    With that experience in mind, I must admit that we have been putting Greece on the back burner as a possible destination. I know Greece is not Egypt. The issues in Greece are VERY different than the ones in Egypt, and Greece has been a much more stable and prosperous country. Also, nobody seemed to see warning signs of an uprising in Egypt. It happened quickly and without warning. Even while we were there, there seemed to be no indication that anything was bubbling under the surface, and we had quite a bit of contact with locals. If a country with 40 years of stability can suddenly implode, can you truly trust traveling anywhere? This is, of course, an extreme perspective.

    After some consideration, I’m coming around on the idea of traveling to Greece. In fact, if a trip to Europe makes sense for us this winter, Greece is the destination I have my eye on. The situations are really not that similar, and there are positives in the Greek situation for the traveler–fewer crowds, lower cost accommodations, appreciation of the travel dollar. I think I just needed some time to get over the “what if” game in my mind and to be more rational.

  3. I still appreciate Steves’ insights. HOWEVER, trust but verify (as one of our actor presidents liked to say). Check out various sites, newspapers, US state dept. advisories etc. Jan makes excellent points. Use common sense. What’s the 2,000 year old saying? Caveat Emptor.

  4. First of all, Greece is the most fabulous place. It is a must see on anyone’s travelling list. The ancient history is unbelievable. In the last few years I have been to Italy, Ireland and Spain since all this economical down turn. They all are in the same boat. But I do also think like everything else media driven this is way over blown. No matter where you go in Europe strikes have always been a possiblility. I think if you can survive the craziness of all the airlines to even get there and back you don’t have to worry about the the country. The “helpline” shares a lot of real info from people that have just been there. The Euro is low, and everytime we arrive we find that the prices have been cut down. It is a great opportunity. Wish I was going this year!

  5. I remember once many decades ago being called a pollyanna. The inference was that no matter how difficult or wrong the situation was, I was defending the party line. Rick’s groupies should keep that in mind as they support whatever he says. He’s a nice guy but he is selling something.

  6. I find the US State Dept’s travel advice unduly alarmist, so I read the British Foreign Office’s advice instead. After reading their current travel advice for Greece and for the US, I think that a UK citizen would feel safer traveling to Greece.

  7. I am not a RS Groupie. Or a Polyanna. I am an experienced traveler that has been to China to Jordan and all over Europe, on foot and on a train and boat. I have never taken a RS tour. Only use his books for researching my trips and have used other authors too. I am also not a risk taker, I have a great family and want to come back to see another day. But too much time and faith is put into a media that is actually for more entertainment than anything else. I would not tell someone to travel if they were not comfortable. That would be a very big waste of everyones time. But in “my” opinion there is a great big fabulous world out there and in some cases even safer than USA. It is a wonderful thing to learn about the ancient history, the history of where we all came from. I believe that it makes us better and more understanding people.

  8. Even the EU finance committee is making contingency plans for the potential withdrawal of Greece from the euro. Possible plans include limiting ATM withdrawals (which WILL effect tourists, even if they have the recommended couple hundred dollars cash on hand as Rick advises), border checks (which will add confusion, delays, and possible chaos), as well as having capital controls. I don’t know about anybody else, but I certainly would be disappointed if I went to Greece and museums were closed because of a shortage of staff and limited hours of operation. I would be frustrated if transportation was effected by strikes, which are possible. For those who say the US is more unsafe, crime is everywhere but that’s not the issue here. It’s the impending economic collapse of Greece. While the US is heading towards a financial cliff like Greece, there isn’t a run on banks here as in Greece (reportedly billions were withdrawn by Greeks from their banks. As others have pointed out, get information from many sources to get an accurate and unbiased opinion about traveling to Greece. As Rick states, even if Greece does withdraw from the Euro, there would be a few months transition time to the drachma. Even with all the uncertainties, I’m thinking Greece would probably still be okay to visit but people should be aware and informed of the potential risks and not disregard the “naysayers”.

  9. We went on a RS tour last fall to Greece. Had a wonderful time – the people and food are not to be forgotten! We encountered strikes – but adjusted. The Tour Guides are very capable of adjusting and keeping you safe. Although at no time did we feel unsafe. I would not hesitate to go back today if I had the chance. One of the best holidays we have taken. Don’t let the politics stop you from visiting this wonderful country.

  10. I highly doubt that Rick would recommend a place where there is a chance someone on his tour would be hurt (that would surely do wonders for his future tours?!).

    There are way too many people who’s only source of information is cable news or talk radio. People rarely take time to try and see someone’s agenda before making their mind up and rather take it as served to them.

    However, here in Chicago over the Memorial day weekend there was about 50 shootings and 10 deaths (more then Kabul or Baghdad that weekend, according to C. Tribune) and for some reason nobody is noticing or complaining. On top of that we had NATO Summit protest where you couldn’t move around downtown areas, you were frisked when getting on a train and had to present and ID to enter your OWN building. So is Chicago (or New York, or LA, or Miami or New Orleans) safe to visit?!?! I really do not think we live in a paradise either.

  11. Again, in Greece we’re talking about the impending results of ECONOMIC COLLAPSE, and how that would effect a tourist traveling currently in Greece. We’re not talking about crime statistics. Yes, crime exists even in the US. But news reports from Greece itself are stating that hospitals are in short supply of needed medicines. Doctors and hospital staff have not been paid in months (so much for socialized medicine, but that’s another story…) Greeks themselves are traveling to Germany to open bank accounts so that they’ll have some money when and if the banks collapse (as noted Greeks have been withdrawing billions from banks in Greece). Stories like this are not hype. They are not talk radio riling up the masses. These are truths that are coming directly out of the mouths of Greeks living in Greece. If people want to still travel to Greece right now, go ahead. But you better hope you don’t need to visit a hospital while there.

  12. Isn’t it partly a matter of common sense? If you feel the least bit uncomfortable about going, chances are you will not feel safe the entire time so the trip will not likely be a pleasant one, even if nothing untoward happens.

    However, if you are a seasoned traveller, with an awareness of contingency plans for the unforeseen, with time and financial resources to spend there if travel out becomes a problem, and you like a challenge, then you could have a never-to-be-forgotten experience. again even if nothing unpleasant happens.

    For myself, I’d not go this year, simply because I am a senior and I usually travel alone. I’ve been to the Mediterranean (Spain, the Riviera, and Italy) but I don’t like the inconvenience of changing travel plans after prebuying tickets and booking hotels.

  13. People like Evelyn really epitomize the common sense and attitudes of multitudes – and maybe the multitudes who could be his principal prospective customers. What to RS and some of his fellow travelers translates into adventure, the rest of us translate into, duh!!!! I have x amount of money. Do you think I am going to spend it throwing bouquets to disgruntled Greeks, Spaniards, Italians, Portuguese, Egyptians and – — – you fill in the blanks. What might be of interest to RS’s customers is, what are YOU doing as a vendor of European travel to convince the people in the Eurozone that one doesn’t kill the golden geese (north american travelers)?

  14. We all know the stuff going on in the greater Athens area, but what about the rest of the mainland and on the islands?

  15. I personally would just do it on your own, unelss you aren’t comfortable with that. It’s what I do, and will be doing in just a few more weeks. I will be teaching in Italy for a few days, then have another week on my own to explore. I prefer to make my own plans, but that’s just me, and I feel like it’s cheaper but also more open to spontaniety and things off the beaten track.But not everyone is comfortable with that, I know. Some like to know all the arrangements have been made for them, and that they have a place to sleep everynight all planned out in advance. If you are totally inexperienced and comfortable doing this alone, by all means use the agency!I’m more travel-by-the-seat of your pants. Many countries have tourist offices right at the train stations to help you find accommodations. They are VERY helpful. The public transportation systems in Europe are really great they go almost everywhere, so you will be fine on your own as far as getting around.As far as staying in one country or traveling about again, that’s up to you and your personality. If you are traveling alone, however, you have the option of visiting a city and if it doesn’t hold your interest or you feel you’ve seen it all you can move on. With a tour package you might be obligated to so many nights in the city. So that’s something to consider when making the decision of booking with the agency.I like to hit every spot I can, and hope that someday I will be able to come back and really spend time at the ones that interest me, especially if this is probably a once-in-a-lifetime trip. See as much as you can see and wear comfortable shoes!If you do feel a bit uncomfortable at traveling around on your own, then it might be a good idea to stay in one town, especially if it’s one of the bigger ones. See all the sights, and then take day trips to other interesting places if you have the time.Another good thing about traveling on your own-you meet more people that way. With others along, you have a tendency to hang out only with them and not venture too far from the safety of the group. But if you are on your own, you will soon find out that you NEED someone to talk to occasionally!Just have fun! I know you will!Poppet

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