2021 Year in Review

Following a surge in Covid-19 cases, Greek authorities have put in force a new round of Covid-19 restrictions that include a curfew for restaurants and bars.

“Our aim is in 2022 to move forward with a full tourism restart,” said Greece’s tourism minister, Vassilis Kikilias, while speaking in parliament.

GTP Headlines takes a look back at what happened in 2021, a year that saw Greece open to tourists in Covid times and manage to achieve figures surpassing half of …

International tourist arrivals in 2021 are set to remain 70-75% below 2019 levels, marking a similar decline as in 2020, according to the UNWTO World Tourism Barometer.

The Greek authorities said there will be no national lockdowns and no new measures for those vaccinated against Covid-19 despite the emergence of the new Omicron variant.

Accor CEO Sébastien Bazin has applauded Greece for opening to tourists in an organized manner and described the country as a destination that ‘has everything’.

The Parthenon Marbles belong to Greece and should be returned to their rightful owners, says 59% of UK residents in a recent YouGov poll.

The Philoxenia 2021 international tourism exhibition will open its doors in Thessaloniki this month after going on hiatus last year due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

Increasing tourism flows to Greece this year helped boost coastal shipping activities, but much more needs to be done, says SEEN President Michael Sakellis.

Major international hospitality brands, including Meliá and Accor, are betting on Greece and announcing plans to further expand in the Greek market.

The official start of the summer 2022 tourist season in Greece will be April 1, Greek Tourism Minister Vassilis Kikilias has announced.

Greece is moving faster towards growth approaching pre-Covid-19 crisis levels, said European Commissioner Paolo Gentiloni during an IOBE virtual event.

The Greek government has announced plans to connect six ports with the country’s railway network, as part of a major railway upgrade project.

The new Thessaloniki ConfEx Park, once completed, will be Europe’s greenest exhibition and conference center, according to Greece’s national exhibition body TIF-Helexpo.

In a cabinet reshuffle on Tuesday, Vassilis Kikilias was appointed as the new tourism minister for Greece, replacing Harry Theoharis.

Athens International Airport ranks fifth on the list of the “Best Airports in Southern Europe for 2021” that was recently released by Skytrax.

A special tourism development and promotional plan is being prepared for the fire-stricken areas in Greece with extra focus on the island of Evia.

Greece has secured more than 21 billion euros in ESPA funds that will go towards a greener and digital economy, more social cohesion and a new approach to its fisheries …

Greek tourism figures this season are moving higher than expected with international arrivals already surpassing 60 percent of 2019 levels.

The EU Digital COVID Certificate, which will facilitate safe travel in the European Union during the Covid-19 pandemic, officially launched on July 1.