World Walker

Hotel receptionist Maria Kanelopoulou has been busy crossing names out of an already rather empty reservations book since labor protests turned violent this month, ending with the death of three.

“I am worried. In Greece the only thing we have is tourism, the sea, the weather,” Kanelopoulou, 45, said in the empty reception hall of 18-room Nefeli hotel in the Plaka tourist district. “People who destroy don’t understand this.”

Some 27,000 nights were canceled in Athens hotels after the May 5 march, threatening a resource that is essential to helping Greece out of a severe debt crisis. Greece depends on tourism for nearly a fifth of its 240-billion euro ($296 billion) economy, and one in five people work in the industry.

But even with the attraction of its thousands of islands and clear blue waters, all made cheaper by a falling euro, Greece has become a hard sell, as potential visitors are put off by the frequent unpredictable strikes and images of violent clashes at anti-austerity marches.

Travel websites are filled with questions from worried travelers wondering whether to change or cancel their bookings.

“Since we are bringing our children with us, I am seriously rethinking our plans,” said one post on tripadvisor.com. “I do not want to have to worry about my kids, or if there will be disruptions.”

Euro zone member Greece plunged into its crisis after it revealed in October its deficit would be more than twice previous forecasts, sending shockwaves through markets worldwide and threatening the euro.

The newly elected government was forced to announce austerity steps including public pay cuts and tax hikes which in turned sparked almost daily union marches and several strikes.

Another general strike has been called for May 20 and more are planned for June.

The tourism industry had hoped to benefit from the weaker euro to stabilize revenues after a 10 percent drop in 2009, but now sees a further 7-9 percent fall this year.

If the summer season is as bad as forecast, this will further sour the mood afterward, when Greeks find themselves with less money to make it through the winter. Most people working in tourism depend on their summer income to last the whole year.

DIFFICULT SELL IN GERMANY, BRITAIN

Thomas Cook has seen a 30 percent reduction in sales out of Germany and about 24 percent from Britain in the past three to four weeks, Thomas Cook CEO Manny Fontenla-Novoa said last week. The two countries together make up about a third of Greece’s 15 million tourists per year.

“There’s a lot of injury coming out of Greece with the riots,” he said.

An emergency committee set up by the government after the wave of cancellations has prepared promotional DVDs with speeches by officials, including the prime minister.

“Tourism is in a critical condition,” government spokesman George Petalotis told reporters last week. “We are trying to reverse this climate, we are trying in every way we can to send the message that Greece is a safe country.”

Tour operators say Greece needs to further slash prices to win back visitors tempted by cheaper destinations such as Turkey.

“We’re going to have to go to Greek hoteliers to stimulate demand … and that means (action on) price,” Fontenla-Novoa said.

Greek hoteliers already slashed prices in 2009 and many have announced further cuts of 15-20 percent in places such as Rhodes this year, also turning non-refundable bookings into refundable ones to try to attract clients or adding a free night.

Hoteliers are nevertheless more pessimistic than the overall tourism industry and forecast on Tuesday a 15 percent drop of their revenues, as they cut prices on last minute offers.

“We see 2,000 to 3,000 cancellations a day since the riots started,” said Alexandros Vassilikos, chair of the Attica Hotels Chamber.

Efforts to boost the summer season might be side-tracked by the sacking of the tourism minister on Monday. Prime Minister George Papandreou sacked her after revelations her husband owed the government more than 5 million euros in tax.

Much will depend on last-minute bookings and on whether social tensions ease as the summer approaches. Tourism representatives say it is essential to ensure the May 20 strike passes peacefully and flights are not grounded by walkouts.

One rare piece of good news was that air traffic controllers decided not to join that strike.

Another is that bookings from Russia and France are going well, officials say. Russians and other East Europeans have favored northern Greece over the past years.

“The Greeks are hot-headed but we need cooler tempers,” said Andreas Andreadis, head of the Hellenic Hotel Federation and Vice President of Greece’s Tourism Enterprises.

In my recent article I speculated whether Easyjet might fly to Zakynthos  in Greece (also known as Zante) in 2010 and it turns out that they have just launched flights there from London Gatwick Airport. Always aiming to bring you the best European travel tips, I thought I’d let you know about a couple of interesting places to visit that will give you a sense of the history on the island.

Romas Mansion on Zakynthos

If you’re holidaying on Zakynthos, it’s likely that you’ll visit Zante town, the capital of the island, to watch the fishing boats at the quayside, shop for clothes and souvenirs or soak up a little Greek coffee culture in the main square. If you do, make sure you allow an extra hour to look around Romas mansion, tucked down a side street just behind the main square for a taste of how the aristocracy of the island lived in the past.

The mansion was built in the 1660s and is one of the few houses of this period to survive the terrible earthquake and fire of 1953 that destroyed Zante town. It was built in the 1660s and was used as the seat of government during the English protectorate of the island in the early 19th century, but was later bought by the Greek government minister, Alexander Romas. The house has now been restored and opened by the Romas family who still live there and is full of beautiful antique furniture and family portraits, giving you a glimpse of how the wealthy Greek families lived in that era. Check the website for opening times before you visit.

Terrace near the castle on Zakynthos

Another historic site that you might enjoy is the Venetian Fort built in 1646 at the top of the hill overlooking Zante town. The terrace just below the castle is a favourite place for Zakynthians to go and have a drink in the evening and there’s a pretty churth you should visit if it’s open. Surprisingly, I had never visited the castle before, despite visiting the island many times, but this year I finally managed to be there at a time when it was open. Inside you’ll find a large space that once must have been full of buildings, like a small village for the soldiers stationed there. Now the pine trees have grown over it all and the buildings are largely ruined, but the view over the bay is as spectacular as ever. Even if you don’t see the castle, make the effort to go up for a drink at sunset on the terrace.

View from the castle on Zakynthos

Romas Mansion, Louka Carrer 19, Zante town, Zakynthos, 29100
Tel +30 26950 28381 Website www.romas.gr

All photos by Heather on her travels on Flickr

When I heard that Easyjet might be starting flights to the Greek island of Zakynthos (also known as Zante) , I was jumping with joy. I was given the tip-off by my sister, who owns two hotels with her Greek husband on the island of Zakynthos and has an inside track on what’s happening in tourism there. But when I contacted Easyjet, who were showing nothing on their website, they told me that there were no plans to announce at present. 36 new flights have been announced for 2010 but Zakynthos is sadly not on the list. So perhaps the deal has not struck or perhaps it will be another year before any flights start.

The reason I was overjoyed at the thought, is that because Thomas Cook and Thomson have a monopoly on direct charter flights from my home town of Bristol to Zakynthos. With competition from XL Airways removed when they went bust last year, I normally find myself paying over £300 per return flight in school holidays. The “flight onlys” are priced high to make it more economic for visitors to book package holidays from these travel operators, and the lack of competition means there is little alternative, if I want to fly direct from Bristol.

I know that the big operators are still struggling to make money these days, but for the consumer and independent traveller, cheaper flights to the islands such as Zakynthos with Easyjet can only be a good thing. Hotel rooms are full in July and August with Greeks and Italians as well as Brits and Germans, but in the spring and autumn, when the weather is beautiful, many rooms are empty unless they have a good deal with a tour operator, which many don’t. I notice that low-cost airlines such as Ryanair are starting to make inroads into the traditional Package Holiday heartlands, such as Lanzarote and Gran Canaria.

We’ve enjoyed many a break on Zakynthos in May when the weather is warm and the spring flowers on the hillside are in bloom, or in October when the cyclamen are out and the olive groves are being pruned and there’s woodsmoke in the air. These are the times when you feel the real Greece on Zakynthos, while in August the package holiday makers eating their full English breaksfast seem to dominate.

On Zakynthos you can take a trip to Keri lighthouse, and enjoy some seafood on the harbour front there and swim from the pebbly beach, or visit the Turtle Information centre at the protected beach at Gerakas, where you can organise  a catamaran trip around the bay and hopefully spot some turtles. There’s an interesting old mansion in Zante town at Roma’s Mansion which gives you a sense of how the Greek aristocracy lived and you can take an evening drink or coffee with a fabulous view from one of the cafes on the terrace near the castle. These are my suggestions to enjoy the authentic Zakynthos rather than the package holiday Zakynthos. And if Easyjet do start flying there from Bristol, I’ll be first to snap up the early bargains.

All photos by Heatheronhertravels on Flickr