WTTC Praises Greece for its Tourism Restart Plan

The World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) and its members on Thursday praised the Greek government for its efforts and steps taken to restart international travel from May 14.

“This clear roadmap to recovery could reopen the door to a bumper summer of travel for sun-starved holidaymakers looking to get away to Greece and provide a significant boost to the country’s economy,” WTTC President & CEO Gloria Guevara said.

Greece recently announced plans to open to tourism by May 14 under a complete protocol with entry requirements that include either presenting proof of vaccination or a Covid-19 negative test upon arrival to the country.

According to Guevara, Greece’s announcement also lays out the pathway which other countries could follow, in a bid to kickstart safe travel and help revive their own stricken economies.

WTTC President & CEO Gloria Guevara.

“The Greek government’s strategy and measures revealed are broadly in line with WTTC advice and we are pleased it will soon be welcoming travellers with proof of vaccination, a negative test or a positive antibody test, with only positive cases required to quarantine,” she said.

The WTTC sees Greece’s entry requirements along with random rapid tests on arrival, enhanced health and hygiene measures and mandatory mask wearing throughout the travel journey and in public spaces, as providing the reassurance consumers need to book their trips this year.

Greece’s new slogan for 2021.

“Greece is one of Europe’s most popular destinations for travellers and as such, relies heavily upon international travel, with Germany and the UK as its most important source markets,” Guevara said.

In 2019, Greece’s tourism sector contributed 20.8 percent to the nation’s overall GDP (39.1 billion euros) and supported more than one fifth of all jobs, according to WTTC data.

“We strongly believe the Greek roadmap shows the practical way forward for other countries to encourage the return of safe travels, as vaccine rollouts gain momentum to return the world’s mobility to get the globe moving again,” Guevara concluded.