Greece Does Not Rule Out Welcoming Tourists Before May

Greek Tourism Minister Harry Theoharis on Sunday said Greece is keen on welcoming tourists ahead of the country’s scheduled opening in May.

“If all goes well on the Covid-19 front, if there is the slightest opportunity, Greece will be able to receive tourists even earlier,” he said in an interview to the Athens News Agency (ANA).

The Greek tourism minister told ANA that the Tourism Ministry at the moment is in discussions to gradually open to the markets of EU Member States, the United States, the United Kingdom, Serbia and the United Arab Emirates.

It is noted that Greece recently lifted quarantine restrictions for passengers from Israel that enter the country holding a vaccination certificate.

“In general, the international interest for the opening of Greek tourism is very big… Nevertheless, we are proceeding with the utmost care, step by step,” he said.

Greek Tourism Minister Harry Theoharis.

During the interview, Minister Theoharis touched on the subject of the Digital Green Certificate for travel, currently being worked on at EU level.

“The certificate is an important addition to welcome visitors but it is not the only ‘tool’ at our disposal in view of this year’s opening. We mainly rely on the progress of vaccinations, abroad and in Greece. In our country vaccinations are evolving rapidly, we have already achieved better performance than many other countries,” he said.

Greece has announced May 14 as its official date to open to tourism.

Greece’s plan to restart tourism sees entry only for travelers that have been vaccinated, have recovered from the coronavirus or have a negative PCR test with them. Greek authorities will also conduct random Covid-19 tests at the country’s entrance points through the EVA system, which indicates which travelers should be tested upon arrival.