British holidaymakers flock to Greece as tour operators slash prices

British holiday bookings to Greece are soaring, despite the country's economic woes and fears that the euro is about to collapse in the country.

As many as four million Britons could head to Greece this summer, double the average number, according to new figures.

Beach bargain: British travellers are snapping up all-inclusive packages that are discounted by up to 60 per cent

Travel agents have reported that bookings for all-inclusive holidays in Greece are up a third in the last two weeks, with many tour operators slashing prices.

A survey by foreign exchange company Travelex showed that some people had deliberately booked Greek trips due to the strengthening of the pound against the euro.

The strong pound means British holidaymakers can enjoy the best exchange rate since 2008.

Around 20 per cent of those polled said they were ‘not concerned at all’ about a possible collapse of the euro in Greece, with most saying they were only ‘mildly concerned’.

Fewer than 2 per cent had cancelled a pre-booked trip to Greece, while 47 per cent said they would not change their travel plans whatever happened in Greece.

Almost half of those polled said they expect the euro to collapse in Greece, with most of these reckoning it could happen before the end of the summer.

Elvin Eldic of Travelex said: ‘It looks like when it comes to summer holidays, Brits are more concerned about bagging a bargain than whether or not Greece gets another bailout.

‘We'd urge Brits to not only take a mixture of cash and a prepaid card but also to take the time to check the terms and conditions of their travel insurance when booking a holiday or travelling to Greece.’

Cashing in: Many British tourists have deliberately booked Greek trips due to the strengthening of the pound against the euro

British travellers are said to be snapping up packages that are discounted by up to 60 per cent.

Travelzoo in the UK said it had seen an upsurge in bookings for all-inclusive holidays to Greece last week, despite a dip in people booking flights to the country.

However, German travel firms have reported a 30 per cent drop in bookings for Greece after claims of some Germans being subjected to animosity and even violence in the country.

Germany’s Chancellor Angela Merkel has demanded harsh austerity measures in return for EU bailouts.

Air Berlin, Germany's second largest airline, and Rewe, the retail and tourism group both said on Tuesday that bookings to Greece were around 30 per cent below that of last year.    

'Greece is doing very badly, just like North Africa,' Air Berlin chief executive Hartmut Mehdorn said.     

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/travel/article-2151039/Greece-crisis-British-holidaymakers-snap-inclusive-deals-tour-operators-slash-prices.html#ixzz1wCA33YSs