Greek Tourism Industry Struggles After Riots In Athens

Road closures, worker strikes and the riots that rocked Athens recently have all led up to what Greece is fearing will be a lousy summer for tourists.

While some had been pointing to Greece as a steal for American travelers due to the financial crisis that nearly sent Greece into bankruptcy, there is a 10-12% decrease in bookings compared to 2009, according to tourism industry experts. Since tourism accounts for 15.5% of Greece's GDP, the country can't afford to have another rocky season, according to USA Today.

Tourism industry experts say they are currently seeing a drop of about 10-12% in bookings compared to 2009, which was itself a poor year. With tourism accounting for about 15.5% of gross domestic product, Greece can ill afford to see a prolonged downturn in an industry that provides about one in every five jobs.

Along with Spain, Italy, France and Turkey, Greece is traditionally one of Europe's top five summer holiday destinations.