TUI AG The government on Sunday ordered banks to close for a week and imposed capital controls as it lurched towards a default in a dramatic standoff with international creditors who have been keeping the country solvent.
But it stressed that credit or debit cards issued abroad would be unaffected by a 60 euro per day limit on withdrawals from cash machines -- a relief for tourists, whose spending drives just under a fifth of Greece's economic output.
"I personally don't know much about it," said American Jamie Boyatsis, 22, from New Hampshire, watching the changing of the guard outside parliament with her family.
"I'm not overly worried about it, and it shouldn't disrupt my holiday."
Major tour operators in Germany, one of the biggest feeder markets to Greece, reported no immediate impact; local hoteliers said it was too early to gauge if there had been any effect.
Greeks will vote on Sunday to decide whether to accept or reject the terms of an aid-for-reform deal from the European Union and the International Monetary Fund. If they vote 'No', as their government recommends, it may spell the end for Greece's membership of the euro zone.
Some Greek businesses were already complaining on Monday that they could not pay salaries or suppliers and had to halt imports.
But the Tourism Ministry said it did not expect tourists to suffer, saying in a statement that it "does not expect any inconvenience ... either on the islands or in mainland Greece, as there are adequate fuel supplies, products and services".
Yiannis Retsos, head of the Association of Athens Hoteliers, said: "Now things are clarified, it's positive that visitors won't have any immediate problem from capital controls."
At the moment, he said, it was "business as usual".
The German tour operator TUI (>> TUI AG) said on Monday its packages were unaffected by the restrictions, and that Greece remained one if its most popular destinations.
"For our customers, this (the crisis) not an issue," a spokesman said.
Thomas Cook (>> Thomas Cook Group plc) told its holidaymakers travelling to Greece to take euros in small denominations, but stressed that the country remained "great value".
"A Greek exit from the euro zone would have little impact on the holidays customers have already booked with us, as all pre-paid services are provided by Thomas Cook," it said in a statement.
While Greeks queued at cash machines, tourists on the whole appeared unfazed.
Philip Boyatsis, uncle of Jamie, said: "We did get a bit more cash yesterday when we arrived, but we don't expect any problems. I'm off to enjoy my holiday in Mykonos!"
(Additional reporting by Harro Ten Wolde; Editing by Matt Robinson and Kevin Liffey)
By Michele Kambas
