IX. BUSINESS TRAVEL Greek business people are astute bargainers. Success in business dealings depends on a combination of patience and quick judgment. Greeks are warm and cordial in their personal relationships. A wealth of good restaurants and places of entertainment makes it easy for a business visitor to reciprocate the courtesies shown. Greek is spoken by 96 percent of the people and is used for all business and official purposes. Language is not a major barrier to foreign business visitors, however, as a relatively high percentage of local officials and business people speak English or French. Athens time is 7 hours ahead of eastern standard time. Government office hours are 7:30 a.m.-3:00 p.m. Monday through Friday from October to May, and 7:00 a.m.-2:30 p.m. Monday through Friday from May through September. Private sector office hours are 8:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m. (with one hour for lunch). Manufacturing establishments operate from 7:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. Monday through Friday. Banking business hours are 8:30 a.m.-2:00 p.m. Monday through Friday. U.S. citizens may enter Greece with a valid U.S. passport and may stay for up to 3 months. No visas or other formalities are required. Should visitors wish to remain longer, they must submit an application to the immigration authorities at least 20 days before expiration of the initial 3-month stay. Used personal effects of foreigners residing permanently abroad may be imported duty free. Included in the duty free allowance are up to 200 cigarettes, 50 cigars and one liter of liquor. One each of the following articles also may be brought into Greece duty free, provided they are re-exported: still and movie cameras, with suitable film; binoculars, portable radios; portable record players with up to 20 records; and portable typewriters. Firearms and ammunition require special permission by local Greek police authorities. Flower bulbs, plants, and fresh fruit may not be brought into the country by travelers. Foreign currency in any amount can be imported freely. However, travelers bringing in the country foreign currency or drachmas exceeding the equivalent of 10,000 ECUs (approximately $12,500) must declare it upon entry. Travelers' checks and other checks, letters of credit, and unendorsed bank drafts issued in the traveler's name need not be declared when entering Greece, since they can be exported freely from Greece. Export of foreign exchange has been freed as of May 1994. Greek and foreign travelers, however, have to declare any amount exceeding the equivalent of 2,000 ECUs (approximately $2,500) upon their departure. Greek residents need a certificate from the tax authorities (confirming that the carrier has no outstanding tax obligations) to export foreign currency exceeding the equivalent of 10,000 ECUs. Mailing abroad of Greek currency, foreign exchange, or checks is forbidden. Greek holidays to take into account when planning a business itinerary include the following: New Year's Day, January 1 Epiphany, January 6 Kathara Deftera (49 days prior to Greek Easter Sunday) Independence Day, March 25 Good Friday (movable holiday) Holy Saturday (movable holiday) Easter Sunday (movable holiday) Easter Monday (movable holiday) May Day, May 1 Whit Monday (50 days after Greek Easter Sunday) Assumption Day, August 15 OXI Day, October 28 Christmas Eve, December 24 (half day holiday, only shops open all day long) Christmas Day, December 25 Boxing Day, December 26 New Year's Eve, December 31 (half day holiday, only shops open all day) There are also several regional holidays: Liberation of Ioannina, February 20 (observed in Ioannina only) Dodecanese Accession Day, March 7 (observed in Dodecanese Islands only) Liberation of Xanthi, October 4 (observed in Xanthi only) St. Demetrios Day, October 26 (observed in Thessaloniki only) St. Andreas Day, November 30 (observed in Patras only) Inland surface transportation is composed of a road and railroad network. Main streets and highways are paved; secondary roads are rough and ungraded. Most roads are two-lane, except for parts of the National Road which are four-lane. The road network is good and is being constantly expanded. In March 1994, a program was announced to construct or upgrade 1,300 kilometers of highways at an estimated cost $2.8 billion, of which over 50 percent is financed by the EU. The length of the railroad network is 2,500 kilometers of which 1,500 kilometers is of standard gauge connecting Greece with Yugoslavia and Western Europe in the north and with Turkey and the Middle East in the east. The remainder consists of narrow gauge tracks for national connections. The bulk of the Greek industry is located around 20 sea ports. The largest ports are in Athens (Piraeus), Thessaloniki and Patras. Except for an occasional cruise ship, no direct passenger ship service is available between the U.S. and Greece. Cargo services from the United States are provided by American Export Lines, Farrell Lines, Prudential, and Sea Land Service on a regularly scheduled basis with port calls at Piraeus, Thessaloniki, and Patras. Seaborne cargo shipped from the East Coast of the United States reaches Greece within 11 to 12 days. Airline connections to Greece and to other points in Europe and the rest of the world, are excellent. Athens is served by 50 airlines. American international air service to Greece is provided by Delta, United Airlines and TWA. Olympic Airways, the government-owned national carrier, no longer enjoys its full monopoly as private Greek-owned companies can now operate non- regular, charter flights (passenger and cargo) domestically and internationally. Greek telecommunications are being upgraded. Digital service and cellular telephony are available. Direct telephone service to 88 countries and direct dial teletype service to 22 countries are available. International connections through AT&T, MCI and Sprint, to and from Greece, are available. Fax machines have become a standard business tool in Greece. The Hellenic Telecommunications Organization (OTE), a government agency, exclusively operates all telephone and radio communications in Greece. OTE's short term plans include the deregulation and privatization of all value-added services except basic telephony. Private cellular telephony was introduced in 1992. Most of the users are concentrated in the Athens area but new subscribers are being added as the two providers complete their networks to eventually cover all the mainland and the islands. OTE is also responsible for satellite communications. Coastal and transoceanic radio-telegraph, telephone, and teletype communications are served through six coastal stations. A satellite station also links Greece with the Intelsat system. Submarine coaxial cables link Greece with France, Cyprus, Lebanon, Italy, and Syria. Radio-electric networks for TV transmission connect Greece with Yugoslavia, Bulgaria, Italy, and Turkey while a tropospheric scatter links Greece with Cyprus and Libya. With the impressive expansion of Greek hotel and tourist facilities in recent years, modern and comfortable accommodations can be found in most areas where a foreign traveler is likely to visit. Growing tourist travel makes advance hotel reservations advisable, particularly during late spring and summer. Prices of accommodations compare favorably with those in other Western European countries. Cost-of-living data abroad are published by the United Nations in the Monthly Bulletin of Statistics. The U.S. Department of Labor monthly periodical, Labor Developments Abroad, contains information on wages and living costs. This publication is available from the Information Office, Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, Washington, D.C. 20210. Athens has several general hospitals and clinics, including specialized pediatric and maternity hospitals. The level of care at these facilities is good, with the only weakness being the level of nursing/support-type care which is considered fair. Most hospitals are equipped with modern diagnostic equipment and trained technicians. Emergency and most routine surgery as well as general hospitalization can be handled at local facilities. Athens has many English-speaking doctors, trained in the U.S. or Western Europe, who practice in all specialized fields. Although the enforcement of regulations concerning the storage and sale of foods and drugs is less strict than that in the U.S., as a rule local restaurants and tavernas are safe and good places to eat. The local fruits and vegetables are excellent and do not require any special preparation beyond cleaning or cooking. Most meats can be procured locally and are safe. Pasteurized milk in Athens is safe for consumption. The water in cities throughout Greece is potable. Bottled water is recommended in small villages and the islands, as the water source may be limited and not well treated.