The Austrian government took a neutral position during the tough negotiations between the EU and the Greek government, even when talks became very tense and polarized, especially with Germany and other northern European and Baltic countries. It tried to tread the path of reasoning and find common grounds throughout the painstaking process. Once again the Austrians prove they possess a sense of balance in the way they approach the issue of the Greek crisis. Newspaper Kleine Zeitung published a main 4-page feature spread entitled “Greece, return to a paradise thought lost” urging its readers to explore the beauties of Greece. The newspaper displays a first page cover photo of Greece with a title reading: “Our aid package-Ten vacation proposals and an expression of love as First Aid to the Greeks and us”. Its writers make suggestions to the paper’s readers on what specific travel destinations in Greece they love. These are:
“Zakynthos: Picture from the Garden of Eden”
“Donoussa: Discovering Freedom”
“Mani: Archaic theatrical show of nature”
“Karpathos: A bittersweet beauty”
“Meganisi: Double infinity”
“Mykonos: The party is still not over”
“Milos: Competition of shades of blue”
“Naxos: A return to our roots”
“Crete: The recipe for satisfaction”
“Peloponnese: Nostalgia coordinates”
It should be noted that according to TUI Austria, one of the largest Tour Operators in the world, bookings for Greece were very high despite the crisis.
