Tourists in Rhodes, Greece: One eye on the exit? Photo: Freta / Wikimedia
As the world watches the situation in Greece, which could lead to a default on government loans, a run on banks, an exit from the Euro currency or another agreement to carry on, travelers to Greece could face chaos, as early as this week.
One sign of how serious the situation could be is that not only have British travelers been advised to carry cash and not rely on ATMs, but the British Foreign Office has been working with ABTA, the Association of British Travel Agents, on plans to evacuate as many as 110,000 British vacationers if necessary. It would be the largest peacetime evacuation ever.
A Foreign Office spokesperson said “We hope for the best but contingency plans are in place. These plans cover a whole range of scenarios…” ABTA, meanwhile, is urging travelers not only to carry cash, but to take out travel insurance against costs that might happen from flight cancellations.
They also pointed out that “Any changes would be highly unlikely to happen overnight; any switch to a new currency would take time, and Euros would likely be accepted in the interim,” it said.
I have a feeling things will get very unpleasant in Greece in the next few weeks. I hope I’m wrong, but I think it might be best to travel elsewhere in the coming months while the Greeks deal with their political and economic future.