Dirty streets hurt tourism too

The garbage crisis may not only have an impact on public health, but also on the growth of tourism, as the problem with piles of bags on Greek streets has not gone unnoticed abroad.

Germany's Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung (FAZ) says that "Greece is the winner of the current tourism season" while pointing to the growing threat the country's image faces from the garbage problem. In a report published yon Tuesday it stressed that tourism and food service are also victims of the local authority workers' strike, alongside public hygiene.

"Nobody can sit anymore in front of cafes and tavernas where garbage mountains are growing, and in many spots the picture is disheartening. Garbage is even piling up on the islands. On the political level they discuss whether or not refuse collection ought to be privatized. Some local authorities and certain areas of the capital have...