Greece sees its future as the Florida of Europe
Tourists in hats, cameras slung around their necks, crane them for a view. In the heart of old Athens, it is a reminder that the holiday season has begun. Last week as parties from cruise ships were guided through the narrow streets and squares of Plika beneath the ancient Acropolis, industry officials were rejoicing at another seemingly immutable fact: that Greece is now among the most popular destinations in the world, poised to attract about 33 million tourists this year despite global economic uncertainty.
Around a sixth will visit Athens, a capital that not that long ago was synonymous with anti-austerity protests and bypassed by holidaymakers heading straight for the isles. "There has been a massive increase with each year being a record year for the last six years," Yiannis Retsos, the country's tourism chief, told the Observer. "Greece has become trendy for sure."
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