Saturday, September 1, 2007
Greek wildfires don't deter tourists
ATHENS: For all the calamity caused by a barrage of brutal wildfires in Greece, travelers seem undeterred, tourism officials say. The inferno, still blazing but seemingly under control, hit the western Peloponnesus, a popular tourist destination, hardest, destroying large swaths of property, gutting hundreds of homes and killing at least 64 people. Flames that at times rose 100 meters, or 330 feet, into the air, burning trees and shrubs surrounding Olympia, the ancient birthplace of the Olympic Games, forced tour operators to shut down scores of hotels and travel facilities in the area.