Athens and Greece are known only for one thing at the moment - that crisis, with that currency.
Q&A: Debt and demonstrations, is Greece still worth a visit?
How is the crisis in Greece and with the euro affecting tourism in Athens? Tourism is up in the country as a whole this year on last. Last week, the Bank of Greece said income from the sector increased 10.6 per cent in the nine months until the end of September, although it is down in Athens.
Who is going to Greece? It is mainly Germans and Britons holidaying. There were more than 14.2 million foreign arrivals into Greece in the first nine months, up 10.4 percent. This is huge boost at a time when Greeks are travelling less domestically due to tough austerity measures hurting spending.
Does the crisis cause any practical issues in Athens? Yes, there are frequent strikes and protests against austerity measures, which means getting around can be difficult at times.
What will happen to tourism in Greece if it leaves the euro? A departure from the euro zone could be beneficial to Greece's tourism industry because its new currency would devalue dramatically, making it very cheap to holiday in the country.
But before the Greek government decided to take on unsustainable levels of debt and bring Europe to the brink of depression, it was known for a few other things: being the cradle of civilisation, democracy, island-hopping holidays, the Parthenon, and tasty tzatziki.
But despite these positive points, if you wander round the centre of Athens at the moment, everyone is shivering under a shadow of recession and reform.
Most other European cities sport inane graffiti written by wannabe Banksys but who can only come up with creative ways to rewrite their nickname. But not in Athens; the messages are all political and satirical, reminiscent of the Berlin wall for all their anger.
It is fair to say Athens is not a fun city to visit at the moment. It is interesting, but gone are the days of relaxing for hours in the afternoon sun, watching the city roll by.
So if you do find yourself touching down at Athens International Airport and are in need of a hotel, then you should first consider, because of near constant strikes, the only transport available may be a private executive car. That was my only choice recently.
When the taxis, buses and trains are not running, the executive car rip-off merchants will charge €150 (Dh729.15) to go 20 kilometres in a black Mercedes-Benz. Standard taxis cost about €35 to the city centre and buses also run for a few euros.
Athens is not short of hotels and there is one for every business budget, from comfortable, no nonsense 3-star affairs to high-end boutique hotels, as well as the global chains. Business is still trying to flourish in the city despite the pending collapse of its banking system and in many of the restaurants there is a bustling trade.
Top 5: Top five sights in Athens
1 The Acropolis
2 The Parthenon
3 The Agora
4 The Benaki Museum
5 Fish Spa
Source: Tripadvisor
But be sure to take a range of currencies if you fly into the city, because who knows what you will be paying in next week.
The Quote: "I am a citizen, not of Athens, or of Greece, but of the world." Socrates
twitter: Follow and share our breaking business news. Follow us
