Greece Looking to Open to Travelers from the United States

The US is among the third-country markets which Greece is looking to launch travel agreements with

The United States is one of the markets that Greece is eyeing to form a travel arrangement that will open up tourism between the two countries this year.

The US is considered a key third-country market for Greek tourism. In 2019, travel from the US reached about 1.18 million visitors and travel receipts from Americans were at some 1.2 billion euros. In 2020, US arrivals to Greece dropped 91 percent as travel came to a halt due to restrictions and border closures due to the coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic.

Speaking recently to Greek daily Kathimerini, Greek Tourism Minister Harry Theoharis said that before Easter, he plans to visit the US with a view to re-establish air links between the two countries.

The minister said his agenda will include meetings with representatives of major airline companies that operate intercontinental routes.

Greek Tourism Minister Harry Theoharis

The US is among the third-country markets which Greece is looking to launch an agreement with in order to welcome more tourists without restriction when the country officially re-opens for tourism next month.

A deal has already been made with Israel that sees vaccinated Israelis entering Greece without having to quarantine. Similar deals are being discussed with Russia and the UK.

“We are in contact with the US Embassy for the recognition of the CDC-issued vaccination certificates of the United States,” Theoharis told Kathimerini.

Greece opens for tourism on May 14

Greece will officially open its gates to tourists on May 14. The tourism ministry’s road map for the opening of Greek tourism this year includes travelers entering only with a vaccination certificate or a negative PCR test result. Random Covid-19 tests will also be conducted at Greece’s entrance points through the EVA system. The government has also announced that it would be putting the vaccination of tourism workers as a priority, while all of the sector’s enterprises will follow strict health protocols.

Travel got easier for Americans

Photo source: TSA

It should be noted that travel for Americans has gotten easier as, according to new guidelines by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), US citizens that have been fully vaccinated against Covid-19 do not need to quarantine after domestic or international travel. All air passengers coming back to the United States, including U.S. citizens and fully vaccinated people, are required to have a negative COVID-19 test result no more than 3 days before travel or documentation of recovery from COVID-19 in the past 3 months before they board a flight to the United States. The CDC also recommends that travelers get tested for coronavirus three to five days after arriving back in the United States.

With regard to digital vaccination certificates, the US government has announced that it would not be providing them at the federal level but is keen on working with private companies to help set standards for how such certificates could be used fairly.