Embarrassing reports

The news reports about Samothraki, the northern Aegean island which was disconnected from the mainland following the breakdown this month of two passenger ferries, did not come like a bolt from the blue. Although the country's economy is heavily dependent on holidaymakers, the tourism sector, which in turn relies on good publicity, has had to contend with a raft of negative news reports this summer.

We have read about supposedly upmarket tourism destinations drowning in rubbish, along with air delays, crime, and islands at the mercy of an ailing ferry fleet being cut off from the mainland at the peak of the tourism season. Before exploring fresh paths that could help steer Greece toward economic growth, we should first of all deal with the problems plaguing its chief heavy industry.