Greece Aims To Open-Up For Tourists By July 1

Greece is undoubtedly one of the most appealing travel destinations, but amidst the Covid-19 crisis, the idea of a summer vacation in Greece sounds like an unlikely scenario! Or maybe not, according to Greek officials.

 

And that is because Greece appears to be a rare coronavirus success story. The safety measures and a strict lockdown was enforced very early, keeping the death rate extremely low compared to European countries.

 

This week, some small businesses–such as hairdressers and bookstores–were allowed to re-open for the first time after the long closure. This gradual lifting of the lockdown measures may be a model for welcoming back some travelers this summer, thinks Greek Prime Minister, Kyriakos Mitsotakis.

 

"The tourism experience this summer may be slightly different from what you've had in previous years," Mitsotakis told CNN's, Nic Robertson. "Maybe no bars may be open, or no tight crowds, but you can still get a fantastic experience in Greece – provided that the global epidemic is on a downward path."

However, opening up to tourism unavoidably means opening up to travelers possibly carrying the virus. Currently, every international traveler is screened for Covid-19 upon arriving in Athens; however, the Prime Minister is hoping for something more comprehensive such as global, or at least European standards that set the same travel protocols for all countries. "I would assume that people will be tested before they get on a plane, not after they arrive here. They can only get on the plane with a negative test, or with a positive antibody test," he said.

All going well, Greece will probably be able to start welcoming tourists by July 1.


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