An American couple in Greece

"We have now been in Greece for three weeks. Before our departure — and even during our time here — we heard countless warnings and concerns from friends, family and readers. Is now really a safe time to visit Greece? Should you cancel your trip?

To everyone wondering what it is like to be a tourist in Greece, here’s our answer: it’s as magical as ever. We speak only as tourists, but from our perspective, everything is business as usual.

As tourists, we’ve used ATMs without any problems. Many restaurants and shops are still accepting credit cards. We’ve rented scooters and ridden ferries all without a single hitch. The Parthenon is still standing, cruise ships are still docking daily, and the ancient fortress in Rhodes is as strong as ever.

We arrived in Greece in the midst of the Greek bailout deal. Yet apart from a few protests in Syntagma Square and bringing some extra Euros, we haven’t been inconvenienced at all.

In fact, we enjoyed an open air dinner just a few blocks away from Syntagma Square the night protesters clashed with police — and didn’t even learn of the incident until the following morning.

Almost 20 percent of Greece’s GDP comes from tourism. We know many travelers who have been turned off from going to Greece during this time, but in our opinion, this may be the most important time to go to Greece and spend your money.

Greece is still just a beautiful as ever, and it could use a boost from travelers like us who are ready to enjoy the marvelous food, beaches, history and culture."