Greece tourism unaffected by financial crisis

Despite Greece's extreme financial crisis, the country's lucrative tourism industry appears to be uninterrupted.

And that's good news for Greeks.

Tourism brought in around $32.7 billion in 2014, which made up more than 17% of the country's GDP. The industry also contributed to 9.4% of total employment, or 340,500 jobs, according to the World Travel and Tourism Council.

"For international people going on vacation to Greece, there's absolutely no difficulty at the moment," said David Scowsill, president and CEO of the WTTC. "Greece is always a very popular destination for Europeans and it's a good value-for-money destination. If there's going to be any difficulties, it will come slightly later in this process."

Although Greek citizens are limited to withdrawing only the equivalent of $67 a day from ATMs, Greece's Economy, Infrastructure, Shipping and Tourism Ministry released a statement Monday saying those limits do not apply to people using foreign credit or debit cards.

"The tourists that are currently in Greece as well as those that are going to come will not be at the least affected by the latest developments and can continue to enjoy their vacations in Greece without the slightest problem," said Alternate Tourism Minister Elena Kountoura in a statement.

However, some ATMs have been running out of bills as people scramble to prepare for the July 5 referendum in which citizens will vote on whether to accept the latest bailout deal and the new austerity measures that come with it. If Greeks vote against the deal, it may signal an exit from the eurozone.

The American Embassy in Greece also released a statement, cautioning visitors about demonstrations ahead of the Sunday vote.

"The State Department recommends you maintain a high level of security awareness and avoid political rallies and demonstrations as instances of unrest can occur," the statement said.

Konstantinos Georgiadis, the general manager of Amphitrion Holidays, a Washington-based tour company which primarily runs trips to Greece, said none of his customers have canceled their trips as of Tuesday afternoon, though some have called asking about the financial situation.

"Right now, everybody's aware that Greece is going to hold the referendum on Sunday and in the meantime, it's business as usual," he said. "If there is something that our clients need to be aware of, we will notify them immediately."

Because Greece does not have heavy industry or manufacturing, Georgiadis said tourism is the lifeblood of the country's economy. So far, he said this year has been one of the best for Greece tourism.

"It's very, very important for Greece," he said. "The summer period opens up opportunities for part-time jobs especially for young people who have been hit hard by the economic crisis."

Helle Hamilton, a travel agent in Fairfax, Va., echoed Georgiadis, saying she has seen an increase in bookings for Greece this year, but no cancelations thus far.

Additionally, major airlines have not canceled flights to Greece and cruise ships traveling to Greece have not changed their routes, as of Tuesday afternoon.

Neither American nor Delta – the two big U.S. airlines that fly nonstop to Greece – had issued travel alerts related to the economic crisis as of midday Tuesday.

"We're watching developments closely," Delta spokesman Morgan Durrant told USA TODAY.

American's nonstop service between Philadelphia and Athens is seasonal and was already scheduled to end in mid-October before resuming next year.

"At this point, we do not plan to make any changes to the ATH (Athens) schedule as a result of the current economic situation," American spokeswoman Jenna Arnold said.

British Airways – one of Europe's busiest carriers – said it did not expect an immediate operational impact for its customers.

"We are committed to continuing flights to Greece and the Greek islands," airline spokeswoman Caroline Titmuss said.

Cruise lines also are taking a wait-and-see approach. Several lines with itineraries that include stops in Greece said they continue to sail those trips without substituting alternate ports.

"As of now, there are no changes," said Jason Lasecki, a spokesman for Prestige Cruises, which includes Oceania Cruises and the Regent Seven Seas luxury brand. "We're continuing to monitor the situation."

Summer is peak season for cruising the Greek isles and with the exception of Carnival Cruise Lines, most cruise lines have seasonal deployments there.

Ben Mutzabaugh and Tom Stieghorst contributed to this report.