Covid-19 Government measures Greece to Welcome Brits this Summer ‘With or Without’ a ‘Vaccine Passport’ by GTP editing team 3 March 2021 written by GTP editing team 3 March 2021 10 comments Share 0FacebookTwitterLinkedinWhatsappEmail 148 Photo source: Hellenic Civil Aviation Authority (HCAA) Greek Tourism Minister Harry Theoharis invited British travelers to pack their bags and visit Greece quarantine-free this summer once non-essential travel is restored and EU borders re-open. In his second interview to ITV News, Theoharis clarified again that all travelers are welcome to Greece this summer as long as they provide proof of vaccination in the form of digital a “travel passport” – currently under discussion in the EU – or with a negative PCR test result. Greece’s ‘Green Pass’ During the interview, the Greek minister presented a sample of the vaccine certificate – the so-called ‘Green Pass’ – that will enable quarantine-free travel between Greece and Israel as of April, adding that he was confident a similar agreement would be reached with the UK as there was “political will” to do so. The ‘Green Pass’ has three modes of identification: a QR code, a signature and a URL for verification. “I’m sure the UK has something equivalent to automate,” Theoharis said. He reiterated, however, that bilateral or multilateral deal aside, Greece would be open to both vaccinated and non-vaccinated travelers from the UK. At the moment, non-essential international travel from England is not allowed and not expected to re-open until May 17 at the earliest. UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson has said that the date is tentative and would be subject to review. Britain is one of Greece’s key source markets with nearly 4 million tourists visiting each year and generating over 2 billion pounds for the Greek economy. Join the 15,000+ travel executives who read our newsletter Follow GTP Headlines on Google News to keep up to date with all the latest on tourism and travel in Greece. Share 0 FacebookTwitterLinkedinWhatsappEmail GTP editing team This is the team byline for GTP. The copyrights for these articles are owned by GTP. They may not be redistributed without the permission of the owner. previous post Greek Shipowners Call for Support in View of ‘Tough Year’ Ahead next post #filoxeniaMoU: Μια πρωτοβουλία του ΞΕΕ ενόψει του Εθνικού Σχεδίου Ανάκαμψης You may also like Greece’s Hotel Market Sees Major Investments Over Four Months 5 February 2025 Greek Tourism Ministry Monitors Santorini Situation as Seismic Activity Continues 5 February 2025 Global Air Passenger Demand Reaches Record High in 2024, IATA Reports 5 February 2025 Greek PM Reassures Public About Santorini’s Ongoing Seismic Activity 5 February 2025 Milos: Ministry Suspends 5-star Hotel Construction Near Sarakiniko Beach 5 February 2025 ELIME and HELMEPA Join Forces for Safer, More Sustainable Greek Ports 5 February 2025 10 comments Bessie Sioutas 7 March 2021 - 21:46 The vaccination proccess is very slow here in Greece. I agree that tourists should be allowed in the country if they have their vaccination certificate but not to people just with PCR tests. That’s what happened last year and our number of cases shot up to heights that our health system couldn’t control.The goverment is trying to vaccinate the population on the Greek islands to be ready for the tourist season. I personally don’t agree to open up borders until 60% of population in the country is vaccinated. It’s nice for you people to take your vacations but you have to consider the lives of the people who have been on strict lock down, closed up in their houses for over a year, have lost their jobs and are barely surviving and to put their lives in danger just because people can’t wait a little longer to take their vacations? Show a little humanity. Don’t put money over human lives. Reply N Wetzel 5 March 2021 - 14:32 It is a joke to allow non vaccinated tourists to enter. PCR text may not show up yet at the time of tacking it, that you are covid free, firstly, secondly what about a symptomatic people?? Let’s just let them all come in, who cares if we get locked up again afterwards! Totally ridiculous. Reply roz 4 March 2021 - 14:49 I am stranded in Greece but could get vaccine tomorrow in UK. How do I get a vaccine here without an Amka? Reply Mrs M Cole 4 March 2021 - 12:34 Just need TUI UK to stop cancelling some Airports to Rhodes, etc then! We lost 2 last year and now know that TUI have also cancelled our Rhodes flight this year too. 4 holidays . To our Rhodian hotel, that is an almost £8,000 LOSS of revenue, plus money we spend on upgrades at the hotel and on the island itself. Come on TUI, open up those flights again – please! Reply Jens 4 March 2021 - 12:30 The Greek tourism minster should explain the advantages and disadvantages vaccinated and non-vaccinated tourists would face as soon as possible. I’m sure this lack of clarity prevents many people from booking their summer holidays in the country, which is a real shame. Just to say that the country welcomes both won’t cut it. Reply Bob Fotoples 4 March 2021 - 14:28 What about travelers from the United States? The minister announced all travelers are welcome as long as they have the digital travel passport. American have a government issued vaccination card. Will that suffice? Reply Giannis 4 March 2021 - 15:01 Jens, what “lack of clarity” are you talking about? He is as clear as it gets. Vaccinated people will only have to show their certificate on their phones and they are good to go, their advantage is that they won’t have to pay for a PCR test. Non-vaccinated people will be required to take (and pay for) a PCR test before traveling, which will obviously have to be negative. That’s the only difference. Other than that, there are no advantages or disadvantages at the destination, they are both exempt from quarantine. Reply DENISE MASTROMINA 5 March 2021 - 09:15 Giannis I had my first vaccine, I was given a card (business) card with my name handwritten, date, and make of vaccine and batch number… That’s it nothing digital a flimsy bit of card the nurse said keep it to travel with, I’m thinking no one is going to accept it Reply Noreen vasilakis 4 March 2021 - 11:41 Is there a plan to permit Americans to visit Greece? Reply Marlene Kayley 4 March 2021 - 11:04 This is excellent news, although we would both be fully vaccinated by the time we go to Crete. Just hope the uk government stick by the date of 17 May to open up foreign travel Reply Leave a Reply to N Wetzel Cancel Reply Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Δ
