The Greek tourism industry is facing disaster as plummeting visitor numbers threaten the closure of hundreds of tourism-related businesses. In once-popular resorts, the cracks are already showing.

While tourism to Turkey has increased, by 46% according to some estimates, dozens of hotels on Corfu, Crete, Rhodes and other islands remained closed over the Easter break, a period customarily marking the start of the summer season.

Nikos Angelopoulos, president of the tourist trade association SETE, said the combination of a global recession and more attractive exchange rates in non-eurozone countries such as Turkey and Egypt would lead to 3m fewer tourists visiting the country in 2009.