Tourism's Temporary Relief in the Eurozone Periphery

Tourism is one of the few sectors in Greece, Spain and Portugal — the three countries with the highest unemployment rates in the eurozone — that has maintained some momentum in the face of the European crisis. Spain and Portugal had good seasons in 2012, a trend they hope will continue. Though political and social crisis adversely affected Greece's tourism in recent years, the sector will probably recover this year. Tourism will not create significant long-term employment in any of these countries, but the sector will provide temporary relief to the unemployment crisis during the summer.