The Irish Travel Agents Association has said about 30,000 people travel to Greece from Ireland each year, and that the destination's popularity hasn't been affected by the rapidly changing financial situation there.
Following the announcement of cash restrictions on withdrawing more than €60 a day for Greek residents, many tourists have been left wondering how these controls will affect their holidays to Greece.
Why have capital controls been introduced?
Greek prime minister Alexis Tsipras announced the cash restrictions in a televised address on Sunday night to prevent banks from collapsing under the weight of mass withdrawals. The prime minister announced the restrictions after receiving no extra emergency funding from the European Central Bank following a breakdown in talks during the week.
Will tourists be able to access their money?
The Irish embassy in Athens has said that the limited banking services will not apply to tourists or those with foreign bank cards, but that tourists should carry enough money in case of emergency or unforeseen circumstances, while also taking precautions against theft.
“Visitors to Greece should be aware of the possibility that banking services – including credit card processing and servicing of ATMs – throughout Greece could potentially become limited at short notice,” the embassy said.
The Irish Travel Agents Association (ITAA) has also advised tourists to be prepared by carrying more than one means of payment, and warned that “the financial situation in Greece is volatile and likely to change at short notice”.
How will travel plans be affected?
It doesn’t seem likely that flights or ferries will be affected. A 24-hour strike for Greece’s passenger ferry service, which was scheduled for Tuesday, has been cancelled.
What if Greece leaves the Eurozone?
In the event that Greece defaults on its International Monetary Fund loans of €1.6 billion and leaves the Eurozone, the ITAA has said that "the euro will continue to be the country's legal tender for some time to come" and it's unlikely that changes will occur overnight.
Is the financial situation in Greece affecting the country as a tourist destination?
Travel agents Sunway have said that they don't think business has affected the numbers travelling to Greece, as many holidaymakers choose to stay in all-inclusive resorts.
“A lot of clients will have paid in advance and are staying in all-inclusive resorts, so you don’t leave the resort and they’re looked after very well there,” a spokesperson for Sunway said.
The ITAA has said that although people are “discommoded alright from the money point of view,” it doesn’t seem to have affected the numbers choosing to visit there.
“There was still people booking over the weekend to go, and life is going on,” CEO of the ITAA Pat Dawson said. “It continues to be a very popular resort.”