'Get rid of your Greek euros': Holiday company rebuffed over scaremongering euro warning
An
online travel company has advised worried holidaymakers to 'get rid'
of their Greek euros in case the crisis-hit country leaves the single
currency.
As German Chancellor Angela Merkel conceded for the first time that Greece could be forced to quit the euro, DialAFlight warned travellers that their Greek euro notes could become worthless.
However, while some
experts predict that Greece could leave the single currency within
weeks, there has been no official acknowledgement that their euro notes
would become worthless.
Unrest: A group of
anti-austerity protesters have been forcibly removed from Syntagma
Square in Athens, but trouble has not spread any further
The blog post on the company's website - which has since been removed -
was advising Britons to check the origin of their euro notes, saying
that Greece could use them as an interim currency while new notes are
being printed.
It used an example of
Czechoslovakia devaluing its currency 20 years ago, when it
rubber-stamped all notes overnight so they could be used while a new
currency was printed.
The operator questioned
whether other European countries will still accept Greek euros if the
country is no longer officially part of the currency and said Greek
notes are easily identifiable by their serial number.
Euro notes specific to
each country were issued when they joined the currency, but can be used
all over Europe and are only identifiable by their country-specific
serial numbers. Greek notes begin with the letter 'Y'.
The DialAFlight blog
asked: 'Will other members of the Eurozone accept them? If not anyone
holding Greek Euros may find themselves out of pocket.'
It even went as far as
to question whether Spain could be next on the list if Greece falls and
advised holidaymakers to get rid of notes from the two countries 'just
in case'.
However, there have been
no open discussions at a political level about what will happen if
Greece pulls out of the euro and the travel industry has been quick to
reassure holidaymakers that trips remain unaffected.
A spokesperson for ABTA -
The Travel Association - said: 'A euro is a euro regardless of where it
is printed. If Greece were to leave the euro, nobody can predict 100
per cent accurately all the effects this might have, but it is safe to
say that there would be a transition period when you would still be able
to pay with euros in bars and restaurants, as is common in many
countries where currencies such as the euro or dollar are accepted in
parallel to the local currency.'
The British Bankers'
Association also dismissed DialAFlight's claims, saying: 'There is no
difference between euros from different countries. They are worth the
same from one end of the Eurozone to the other, regardless of where they
are issued. The euro is a single currency and worth the same whether
French, German, Greek or Spanish.
Calm: Greece's popular islands have been largely unaffected by any unrest
The ABTA spokesperson
added: 'It is important to remember that speculation about Greece
leaving the euro and its possible impact is just that, speculation. It
remains perfectly safe to travel to Greece.
'The vast majority of UK
holidaymakers fly directly into the Greek islands which have not seen
any unrest. The Greeks are a very hospitable people and holidaymakers
will if anything find them even more welcoming as they are desperate for
people to visit as the economic situation and insecurity, plus the
negative speculation, is clearly having an impact on business.
'Inconclusive elections
in Greece have led to drawn-out talks about forming a coalition, but the
participating parties are yet to reach an agreement.
Last night there was
widespread speculation that Greece would be forced to hold fresh
elections next month after left-wing parties indicated they would
boycott any deal that supported the austerity drive agreed with the EU.
Maria Whiteman, Managing
Director of Directline Holidays, reassured travellers, saying that none
of its Greece-based partners have reported any concerns.
She said: 'It is of
course possible that holiday-makers could be put off by demonstrations
or holiday security but given that the islands remain mainly unaffected
and historically travel hasn’t dipped on the back of unrest we aren’t
anticipating a decline.
'At the moment all
programmes and schedules from tour operators remain the same for 2013
and capacity hasn’t been cut which is an early indicator that the
destination in the near term remains unaffected.
'The derestriction of
the currency and debt problem is likely to make holiday providers'
prices more competitive so it could be a good time for holiday-makers
looking to pick up a bargain.'
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/travel/article-2144713/Greece-crisis-Get-rid-Greek-euros-holiday-company-issues-dramatic-warning-travellers.html#ixzz1v17wPhtu
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