Athens riots give Israeli tourists reason for concern

Riots in Athens have left Israelis planning vacations concerned, but few have canceled trips so far.

"We are telling concerned travelers that the events were not terror attacks, and the riots are not targeting tourists," said Bruria Chen, the chief executive of the World Travel Center, a travel agency specializing in Greece and the Greek islands. The company has had no ticket cancellations for this coming Thursday or Friday.

"[The situation there] is regrettable, but it is an issue of internal problems, and not part of some terror ideology," she added. The company says it will waive cancelation fees if customers they choose to delay trips.

"We are waiting to see what happens after the strike planned for Wednesday [today]. If the events continue, we will delay flights to a later date, as early as possible, but currently all plans are continuing on schedule," Chen added.

Ophir Tours has received calls from travelers inquiring about the situation in Greece and asking about possible cancelations.

Yehuda Zafrani, Ophir Tour's deputy chief executive, believes Israelis will begin canceling their trips if the situation does not calm down.