Greece eyes bullish tourism season despite Ukraine war

ATHENS, April 19 (AFP): Greece's pandemic-battered tourism industry is hoping the war in Ukraine won't derail recovery, with hundreds of thousands cancelling trips as the country lifts Covid restrictions in a bid to revive the key sector.

The war in Ukraine erupted just as tourism in Greece was coming back to life, with officials betting on a strong season following two years of lockdowns and restrictions.

But it has meant the loss of some 600,000 Russians and 240,000 Ukrainians who have cancelled reservations, said Lyssandros Tsilidis, head of the Federation of Travel Agencies of Greece.