23.09.2015
За ситуацией с беженцами, которая сейчас сложилась в Европе,closely watches the whole world. One of the first to be out of control the flow of migrants has suffered Greece, which became for them transshipment point. And tourists, not without reason, had doubts: are they dangerous? migrants and is it not better to postpone the rest in Greece until better times? Let’s try to figure out what inconveniences you might encounter and how not to get into an unpleasant situation.
Contents
Neighborhood difficulties with migrants: what’s really happening business
The increase in the influx of refugees and migrants seriously affects state of tourism, first of all, Lesbos and other neighboring greek islands. Greek travel agents have already reported several cruise ships with 5,000 passengers on board who have excluded ports Mitilini and Molyvos from the program. This situation has hit local economy and deprived the inhabitants of Lesbos much income.
This also applies to the island of Kos, which is popular among our tourists. which events are developing in a similar scenario. Population The island observes the arrival of migrants throughout the summer. But the situation heated only by August. Visitors pray right on streets, occupied by abandoned hotels and leave behind trash – all This spoils the appearance of the paradise islands and unnerves the locals. On Kose authorities gave explanations, trying to calm the rest. By their According to him, the migrant camp is located far from the main tourist centers. And the circumstances do not influenced the habitual rhythm of life of Kos.
Photo: Dan Kitwood / Getty Images
The Greeks, who seriously fear for their security, and European tourists. In particular, the British believe that the resort atmosphere of Kos is spoiled by migrants. Some beaches seriously polluted and new arrivals set their tents right on coast and near the medieval castle. Refugee-occupied hotels side by side with fashionable hotels – these are the realities now some islands.
Is everything so bad and what should tourists do
The main argument for the journey to Greece is the lack no open conflict between tourists and refugees. Until now there are no reports of cases of attack or collision of ordinary citizens with migrants. Although it is possible that the information carefully hide from tourists.
It is also worth remembering that refugees from the East do not want a long time. linger in Greece. For them, it does not represent much interest, in contrast to the main goal – Berlin. Besides the Greek the authorities have learned well and in time for many years organize the transit of migrants to Athens.
Some tourists are considering refusing a tour in problem regions of Greece. This option is possible – even tour operators began offering other directions in return for Kos or Lesbos But if the tour is already purchased, you can refuse it, while losing most of the funds. Some companies allow rebooking to other destinations without refusing to travel and the risk of tourists being out of money.
Finally, the situation with migrants on each island is not the same. It is not necessary to visit Kos or Lesbos at all. Demand Hotels of these islands have now fallen by 50% – tourists are looking for alternative directions. The safest at the moment are the Ionian and Cycladic islands. You can look at Mykonos, Zakynthos, Santorini, Kefalonia, Peloponnese or Crete. It is much calmer here now than on islands located next to Turkey.
Safety Precautions and Simple Safety Rules
Given the possible risks, tourists who choose Greece need remember your safety. Here are some important rules:
- Do not bring refugees in any way if you move along Greece on a rented car. Tourists can be accused of smuggling people. In prison, maybe not be put, but will have to spend money on Greek lawyers and lose the most precious – Time relax.
- Since the situation changes every day, no one knows will the influx of refugees lead to riots on some islands. Therefore, the most reasonable step is to carefully choose a place for recreation.
- If you do not want to cancel a trip to Kos or Lesbos, just in case, be vigilant. For example, do not appear in places where refugees gather, stay away from their conflicts with the police and not walk at night in deserted places. Especially important stick to this rule in athens. Here are the refugees transported from the islands, live right in the parks and on the streets of the previously calm areas.
Photo: Yannis Behrakis, Reuters / Scanpix
Despite the many unpleasant moments that have caused chaos in the measured life of the Greek islands, the country remains in general safe to rest. In Greece, there are many areas where not faced and are unlikely to be faced with a massive influx refugees.
Photo: Massimo Sestini / Polaris
