With a massive debt and mounting economical problems, Greece is turning to its tourism industry to get back on its feet after some of the toughest moments the country has suffered in its recent history.
Greece now has debts of around EUR 340 billion along with a crushed reputation after the failure to deal with the pensions crisis and tough times for the European Union’s peripheral nations.
There is no obvious answer to finding a recovery, yet tourism seems to be the best way out. After all, it accounts for around 18% of Greek GDP and employs huge amounts of local people.
The Greek government is now intent upon enticing further tourists by reducing economic burdens in the form of taxes and services whilst promoting the glorious spots of the Aegean nation. Landing and taking-off fees shall be drastically reduced whereas a stress shall be heavily placed on good services at very low prices.
Discounts are part of the plan as is the notion of glorifying Greece’s cultural heritage, aimed at attracting new and well-off tourists with fuller pockets. The changes have reaped already some reward as 100,000 more people came to Greece last year.
The problems and the solution are visible at the island of Delos, an ancient Greek harbor, which meets tourists after long and choppy boat rides. The problem is that the results of the crisis are seen in the litter all over the beaches, as there is no money to pay people to clean it up. The lack of staff is quite obvious and nobody is willing to repair the damage for free.
The city authorities however have pleaded with the Greek culture ministry to at least restore the local ancient theatre since tourism would help revive the city and its economy. If they are successful Delos might become a highly popular tourist destination again.