Beach Talk

What's the most talked about topic on Greek beaches this summer? About the crisis and politics, no matter how atypical it may be for the recreation sector.

Political problems and the debt of Hellas - these were the topics most often chosen by the Greeks who went to sea. Some assured that if politicians had not stolen to such an exorbitant degree, the country would not have found itself in such a monstrous situation. She would not be in danger of default! Other local tourists pointed to new direct taxes, wage cuts and unemployment. It is rising all the time, although a quarter of the population is already unemployed.

Greeks have many reasons to be dissatisfied, even on days chosen for resort holidays. But not only they grumble, but also European tourists. They see with their own eyes that Greeks are not inclined to work hard and correct the situation, but only know how to sit in a cafe.

Reasoning of this kind is partly funny, since it describes the behavior of local residents relaxing at the sea in exactly the same way as foreigners. However, this criticism contains a lot of false material inspired by the media. Many tourists still have no idea what real mass unemployment is.

If for many tourists this summer in Greece was perhaps the most grumpy in the history of personal recreation, then hotels, taverns, cafes and other establishments were solving completely different problems. The season was not the best for them. Although official statistics proudly noted the influx of tourists in July. But judging by the large number of empty hotels in August, many businesses may have had the worst season in Greek history since the 1970s.

And if tourists from the north blame “careless Hellenes” for all Greek troubles, and the Greeks themselves scold greedy bankers, politicians and shipowners, “insatiable Germany” and foreign workers, then service sector workers know exactly who is to blame for the Greek crisis the most. The tourists are to blame - there are too few of them and they spend too modestly for the economy to revive at least a little. There is a popular joke in the country about a German who orders only salad for lunch and leaves the tavern, where it is customary to eat well, with an empty stomach. Nobody says this about Russians. They know how to eat and spend.

In the tourist towns on the southern coast of the Peloponnese in August, the former abundance of German tourists and hordes of colorful Frenchmen was not visible. And if a German or Czech tourist with slight contempt accuses the “Greek slackers” of something, then he should know that the “guilt” of his fellow citizens before the Greek economy is great. Residents of the north of the eurozone have become too poor to relax as they did before the crisis. Prices for holidays in Hellas have dropped: even in August they remained relatively low. But this did not save the service sector and did not revive the country’s economy.

Just a couple of years ago, the night streets of tourist towns were full of people. It was not easy to find a place in the cafe, and parking a car was out of the question. Now this is not the case everywhere. The tourism sector is clearly feeling the crisis and therefore hotel and bar employees talk about politics no less than Greek tourists. And if the latter are nervous even on vacation, then the former are haunted by work.

Russian vacationers are asking local residents about the crisis with interest. It seems as if Greece's economic and debt problems have given it a new, intangible attraction. However, the Greeks would happily get rid of it in order to finally return to calm resort themes on a seaside holiday.

http://www.euromag.ru/euroblogs/123/25258.html