Greek Minister Visits Moscow as Part of Tourism Restart Plan

In view of Greece’s upcoming opening for tourism this year, Greek Tourism Minister Harry Theoharis will be in Moscow for the next few days to attend a series of meetings with Russian tourism sector representatives.

According to a Tourism Ministry announcement, the minister’s trip to the Russian capital is part of efforts being made to lay the groundwork for Greece to welcome back tourists from target markets for the 2021 season.

While in Moscow on Thursday, April 15, Minister Theoharis will attend scheduled meetings with the head of the Russian Federal Tourism Agency (Rostourism), Zarina Doguzova, and Russia’s deputy minister of Transport, Dmitriy Zverev.

During the meetings, the minister will focus on all issues concerning tourism, including the rules that will be in force this year as well as the protocols that must be followed for the opening of the market and borders. He will also touch on issues involving the further development of relations between Greece and Russia, especially with regard to the tourism sector.

Greek Tourism Minister Harry Theoharis.

On Friday, April 16, Minister Theoharis will hold discussions with Christofor Alexandrovich Konstantinidi, Deputy Head of the Department of Culture, Sports, Tourism and National Policy of the Government of the Russian Federation, and with Dimitris Sarakianidis, Honorary Consul of Greece in Sochi, investor and president of the Russian Geographical Society.

The minister’s agenda in Moscow also includes meetings with representatives of leading travel and tourism companies in Russia including Mouzenidis Travel, TEZ TOUR, Biblio Globus, Pegas, Ambotis, Coral and TUI.

Minister Theoharis will also meet with the Greek Consul in Moscow, investors and the Greek basketball coach of CSKA Moscow, Dimitris Itoudis.

He will also attend the opening of a photography exhibition in Moscow, which is being held in the context of the Greece-Russia Year of History 2021.

Greece at the moment has a cap on arrivals from Russia at 4,000 per week, according to a Covid-19 aviation directive. Travelers from Russia are only allowed to enter Greece on flights landing only at the airports of Athens, Thessaloniki and Heraklion.