Tourism Professionals At A Loss As Greece Calls For New General Elections

Greece is heading for a new round of elections as talks among party leaders to form a government -based on the results of the elections of 6 May- collapsed. The date for the new round of elections has been set for 17 June.

In the meantime, Greece formed a caretaker government whose leader was announced to be Council of State President Panayiotis Pikramenos. Television programs producer Tatiana Karapanagioti took the helm of the Culture and Tourism Ministry.

Meanwhile, with bookings already lagging some 50 percent, tourism professionals warned that Greece could now lose a large share of its “last minute tourists.”

Key tourism industry sectors last month expressed their disappointment and referred to a critical situation for Greek tourism.

SETE
“In a climate of extreme divergence, utopian approaches and petty political party purposes, the chances of a catastrophic bankruptcy and exit from the Euro has now increased dramatically.”

Hellenic Chamber of Hotels
“Tourism has to move forward regardless of the outcome of the elections… We call for the caretaker government, leaders of political parties… to leave the foreign tourists out of the political game.”

Hellenic Federation of Hoteliers
“The recent political developments have unfortunately revealed to us the deficiencies of our political system… In the ‘heart’ of the peak booking season… the foreign media reproduces scenarios of a Euro exit, disorderly bankruptcy, etc., while high EU and IMF executives respond to such possibilities and give them significance.”

HATTA
“The prolonged political instability and call for new elections does anything but good for the country’s tourism. The already injured Greek tourism continues to suffer…Bookings have froze.”

GEPOET
“Destination Greece today has been abandoned by its politicians… Elections have been held in all countries of Europe but nowhere have we seen this lack of communication nor this irresponsibility. We want the tourism that used to visit us; give us back our tourism…”