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Greece is trying to drag itself out of debt, while at the same time imposing an austerity program that is limiting growth. One of the country's best hopes for overcoming this paradox is the tourism industry, which employs about one-fifth of the Greek workforce and accounts for up to 18 percent of gross domestic product.
But media coverage of the Greek economic meltdown and the sometimes violent anti-austerity protests are threatening to keep tourists away. In yet another blow, Moody's Investors Service slashed the country's credit rating to junk status on Monday.
Nikolaos Kelaiditis runs a small travel agency in central Athens. A faded old poster of Mykonos, a popular island of whitewashed houses, hangs on his wall.
On a recent weekend afternoon, his office is empty until a couple of young Australians wander in looking for a ferry schedule.
"Enjoy your time in Greece, your holiday," he tells them. "Explore your senses."
Numbers Down After DemonstrationsSource: NPR