Greece is slated to open to vaccinated Americans on May 14th.

Greece will open to vaccinated American travelers in mid-May, offering the country’s tourism minister a summer break from the stresses of the pandemic while still observing the safety precautions learned last year.

Global Atlanta spoke to Harry Theoharis, Greece’s Minister of Tourism, during his recent visit to Atlanta.

The Greek government’s chief tourism official, Harry Theoharis, visited Atlanta last week to gain momentum and clarify the opening of major tourist source markets on May 14, which includes travelers who received negative PCR tests.

While Greece maintains restrictions on internal movement for its citizens, the plan to welcome foreigners is intended to shore up a troubled tourism sector, which accounts for an estimated 20 percent of the Greek economy.

Mr. Theoharis told Global Atlanta that he hoped to set the tone for responsible travel around the globe. As if on cue, the European Union signaled the day after he left Atlanta that it should be open to Americans by the summer.

“This is not about Greece gaining market share. The point here is that everyone should regain that trust, ”said Theoharis. “We say there is a system. We make it available in the public domain and we want others to copy it. We believe it is safe. We have the data to back it up. Of course, each country makes its own sovereign choices, but we believe this is the way to move forward. “

Amid a “shy opening” last summer following the peak of the first wave of COVID-19 in Europe, Karis said Greece could avoid a tourism-related surge in some cases. The second wave didn’t arrive until the fall, long after the first boom in the trip.

But this year it is even better armed with “three ingredients” that were not previously in the arsenal: health data for another year, a wide range of rapid tests and vaccinations – both travelers and workers in the tourism sector were prioritized during a rollout, which has so far covered around 10 percent of Greek citizens.

In addition, Greece has a five-point safety plan that includes targeted rapid tests on arrival at Greek airports, where algorithms weigh positive case rates from travelers’ countries of origin and positive test rates at the border to determine who and how to test should be frequent. In the event a traveler tests positive, a quarantine is required, but it can be done in the same accommodation level – and often in the same hotel – that they have already booked. Social distancing rules are also still in place.

“This holiday is not the same as 2019. There are still restrictions on social distancing (essentially wearing masks) and hygiene requirements,” he said. “They worked very well. Our private sector has implemented them in an exemplary manner, like hotels etc. So we will continue with them. We update them with the new knowledge we have – minor changes – but effectively (they do) what we expected them to. ”

Greece only needs a vaccination card as proof that the Americans received their shots. While the country helped initiate discussion of an EU-wide standard for recognizing vaccine validity in different countries – so-called “vaccination passports” – a final decision will likely be made after the May 14 opening, which the Greek government in stone chiseled to “create clarity on the market.” Mr. Theoharis, a former software engineer, described the lead up to the opening as a kind of beta test, in which the problems can be fixed.

With a patchwork of travel restrictions in the normally borderless Schengen area, where the incidence of COVID-19 varies greatly from country to country, Mr Karis recommends avoiding stopovers whenever possible.

This will be easier for Atlanteans on July 2nd when Delta Air Lines restarts its non-stop Atlanta.Athens Flight after opening the first route from New York to JFK to Greece on May 28th. A second JFK route departs on the same day as the flight to Atlanta. United Airlines will also start a seasonal flight in July.

While Mr Theoharis believes there is some catching up to do, Greece is focusing more on the experiences of tourists coming in a year that is expected to still decline overall, even if hotels are 95 percent open during the Industry this includes recovery.

“We’re not aiming for quantity in terms of sales or the number of people who come in now. Quality only. And for us, quality means having the ability to travel when you want and being safe and safe and safe and sound when you come back to loved ones and relatives throughout the door-to-door journey, ”he said said.

Realistically, it means those who come can see the country’s historic sites with “the crowds of the ’90s,” he said.

The most important aspect, however, is setting the tone for the world, “providing services that can restore your equilibrium – spiritually and otherwise” and providing the escape from the “calamities of life” that so many people have seen over the past year have become significant.

“Our duty is to show that this is possible and also to make it available to the people who choose to come to Greece. That is why our motto this year is: “All you want is Greece.” And if you heed this motto, Greece is the last word. Greece is not at the forefront. “You” is the important word here and how you manage your needs. “

Greece will celebrate its 200th year of independence in 2021, which Theoharis said would result in special events and exhibitions that can be enjoyed by both Greeks and foreigners.

The Greek struggle for independence from the Ottoman Empire in 1821 was inspired by the American and French revolutions, an example of ideas returning to the culture that served as the ancient cradle of democracy, like an echo or word that of another language was awarded.

“We gave these liberal values, democracy, to the US and the rest of the world while we were in conditions that did not allow them to thrive. And then the same values ​​came back to us and they gave us the courage and strength to fight the successful fight. ”

While the US still needs proof of a negative PCR test to get back into the country. Mr Theoharis said while hoping the US will waive this rule in favor of vaccination records, Greek hotels have contractual arrangements with laboratories and can meet travelers’ needs.

Mr. Theoharis was hosted by New in Atlanta Greek Consul Theodoros Dimoupolos, has made tourism and educational exchanges a core part of his public relations since he began his tenure in Atlanta in November.

Read an interview with the consul: Greek independence: ancient civilization marks 200 years of statehood across the south

RELATED ARTICLESMORE FROM AUTHOR