[IMG=21184-7021] Greece declared a state of emergency in the majority of the regions owing torrential rains, international news agencies reported. Dozens of people were evacuated from Stavros and neighboring areas. Macedonia, Chalkidiki and Attics also suffered in rains. A man was reported missing Sunday in southern Greece. Torrential rains swept also through Turkey causing floods in Istanbul.
Meanwhile, Russian tour operators are not in panic and do not rush into counting losses. Experts say, that the current situation in Greece will not have serious consequences. Representative of ICS Travel Group, however, pointed out that ‘there might be sales slow down for business tours to Greece as they usually relate to Thessaloniki’. Furthermore, Anatoly Garkushin, Director of Pantheon Travel Company, believes that lack of information contributes to the tension: ‘to say that most of the country is flooded is the same as to say that most of Russia is in war. Floods are in the North of Greece from there tourists left long time ago’. Anna Levasheva, Head of Greek Department of Bureau South Cross, agreed: ‘the information from our partners in Greece and witnesses are different from the information from news reports’. Moreover, at the moment high season in Greece is coming to its end, therefore, floods can not affect the tourist flow to the country.
