On the Acropolis hill, hundreds of tourists braved the Greek sun on Sunday as they walked toward the Parthenon temple, pausing in awe at the ancient marble ruin, many of them oblivious to the different kind of ruin threatening modern Greece.

But Greece’s unexpected call for a July 5 referendum on the economic policies creditors want—which could push the country into bankruptcy and out of the euro—is catching up with tourists. Automated-teller machines are running dry and many businesses are no longer accepting credit cards. The government said it would close its banks on Monday for six days to prevent the banking system from collapsing.

Foreign visitors who find themselves unable to pay for services or meals may have to cut vacations short, just as Greece’s vital summer tourism season gets into full swing.

“We planned this family holiday for two years,” said Stephen Will, an entrepreneur from Michigan who arrived on Thursday with his wife and three young children. “But I am not sure we can stay for more than three days if we can’t get money.”

On Saturday, Mr. Will said, “we stood in long lines and tried five ATMs but they did not dispense any cash. It’s a ridiculous situation that hurts the tourists and this lovely country.” Mr. Will said he planned to spend about $13,000 for the family trip to Athens and two islands in the Aegean Sea, where he has prepaid half of the hotel bill.

Tourism is one of the main sources of earnings for the debt-ravaged economy. Last year, it directly contributed €17 billion ($19 billion), or 9% of Greece’s gross domestic product, through hotel bookings, and as much as €45 billion in indirect benefits from spending in shops, restaurants, tourist sites and elsewhere, according to the Association of Greek Tourist Businesses.

Valentina Rossi and her new husband, Claudio, who came from Milan to spend their honeymoon in Greece, said they were trying to get advice from the Italian Embassy before catching their planned flight to the island of Santorini. “Our honeymoon is already ruined,” Ms. Rossi said. “Greece has been in the headlines for some time now, but we never imagined things can get this bad. The ATMs don’t work and the hotel manager in Athens is asking for cash because he fears banks will close and he won’t be able to get his money.”

Banks are trying to replenish cash at ATMs as fast as they can, said Louka Katseli, chairwoman of National Bank of Greece SA, the country’s biggest bank. Many retailers are unsure what to do. “There are many rumors about capital controls next week so I am asking clients for cash, as returns from credit cards won’t be readily available,” said Apostolis Gionas, a souvenir-shop owner in the central Athens district of Plaka. “In return I offer them discounted prices, but many tourists just leave. Every day that passes we are heading closer to total financial ruin.”

Foreign governments have advised travelers to Greece to bring along cash, warning of the liquidity crunch. The U.K.’s Foreign & Commonwealth Office is on standby to assist Britons vacationing in Greece, with a spokesman saying last week that contingency plans are in place to bring tourists back home. “We hope for the best, but clearly there is greater economic uncertainty in the euro area and it is right to have contingency plans in place,” the spokesman said.

Michael Glezakos, a finance professor at the University of Athens, said the damage to tourism might take years to repair if bank withdrawals and payments for services grind to a halt.

“Tourism and shipping are the only industries that still contribute to the economy,” Mr. Glezakos said. “Tourists, especially those who come on their own and not as part of organized tours, spend more and expect their bank and credit cards to work. But from the minute they set foot here they face problems. We are basically telling them they are not welcome as we can’t provide them with the most basic services.”

Source: http://www.wsj.com/articles/tourists-are-left-in-lurch-by-greek-crisis-1435505597