The Downside to Travelling to Economic War Zones
Source: bobjagendorf @ flickr
I still have this idea in my head that, with Portugal, Spain and Greece in some trouble, that now would be a good time to live there for a bit, or just visit.
But then the idea struck me – maybe it’s not a good time for that.
Sure, prices are going to be cheaper as the Euro has dropped like a stone this past year. And businesses will cut prices to attract customers, and on a purely financial basis, this might be a good time for that.
But stores and restaurants are closing. Some in the centers of town, and tourist areas. Greece’s main shopping district has empty storefronts, where there used to be none.
The people are unhappy. Let’s put the riots and violence aside, unhappy citizens mean strikes. The mood in town will be more somber. The care-free, let’s take the afternoon off every single day, Europe that I love will be just a little bit quieter, more serious, more desperate. Beggars on the streets, which are usually just a handful of gypsies, will increase.
Spain’s unemployment has gone up to 21%. Think about that. More than one-fifth of the population does not have a job. Almost every family has a parent or a sibling who is out of work. That reminds me of a story I heard in Barbados about when the unemployment rate was above 20% for a time there – crime increased, and particularly crimes again tourists. And then tourism plumetted.
Who wants to live in a neighborhood without neighbors? Who wants to walk around a shopping district filled with such sadness and despair?
Maybe it won’t be like that. I hope not.
I am also reminded of American cities who have also gone through some economic devastation. I think about Detroit. The automakers have had a tough two years, and their business has shrunk considerably. Detroit is in some ways a ghost town, with empty buildings and dangerous parts of town where nobody wants to go. Lots of homeless, families kicked out on the street when their home gets foreclosed on.
I’m not saying Greece will turn into Detroit. But the situation feels grim to me. The citizens are not happy. There will be political unrest. The sales tax rate has been increased to 21% – which is steep by any standards and most Greeks avoid with cash under the table. What happens to an economy when everyone – citizens, investors, other countries – gives up on it? We’ll see.
Perhaps.
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