NIKITI, Greece—Unlike the hot political climate ahead of elections on June 17, tourism in Greece is expected to be decidedly cool this season.
Operators are pinning their hopes on discounted hotel rates and Greece’s famed vistas to mitigate some of the gloom and doom, but the climate of economic and political uncertainty, plus deep tension between Greece and Germany (where the bulk of tourists come from), does not bode well.
Tourism is a strategic industry for Greece, accounting for nearly one-fifth of the country’s gross domestic product and employing about a quarter of the of the Mediterranean nation’s workforce. In 2011, revenue from tourism grew by 10 percent as Greece reaped the benefits of tourist diversions away from Arab Spring countries.
This year, no such miracle is expected.
“I have very low expectations for the tourist season this year and for Greece as a whole,” said Julie Gounaris, the British owner of a small beachfront hotel in Nikiti village, on the Halkidiki Peninsula. “Most tourists here are Germans, and the drop began last year, so this year I expect almost no one.”
Germans have told her that they’re afraid of being attacked if they come because of Greek resentment toward them.
Germany has developed a bad reputation here in recent months, being seen as the central power behind the stringent terms of the Greek bailout deal. Last month, after Greek politicians failed to form a government, thus triggering a second election, German Chancellor Angela Merkel reminded Greece that it must honor the commitments it agreed to under the package.
