Greece Tourism Minister, Haris Theocharis confirmed in Parliament that the country will reopen to tourists on May 14 and that heavy protocol and restrictions will be adhered to.
In Greece, April is normally the beginning of the tourism season for boat owners at the dock of a harbour in Athens, but because of the pandemic, activity has been put on hold until the reopening in May.
Greek officials are well aware that the reopening of Greece does not solely depend on them and that ‘a lot of countries need to agree on specific protocols in order to allow people to travel,’ said tourism professional, Eugene Theodoridis.
Theodoridis and his team rent out catamarans and yachts for trips to the Greek Islands. Their clients are mostly from the UK,Germany, the United States and South Africa.
Minister Theocharis further explained that Greece has five lines of defense they will follow and that will ensure that they receive tourists without putting them and local residents in danger: Tourists will need to submit a vaccination certificate, there will be random EVA checking systems at the borders and airports, quarantine hotels will be available for any visitors who test positive for the virus, tourism professionals will be vaccinated, and there will be strict adherence to health protocols.
When travelling to Greece, don’t forget to have your PCR test results no older than 72hours.
Minister of Culture, Lina Mendoni, believes that the vaccination certificates will make everybody feel ‘really safe’.
PICTURE: Unsplash
