Greece launches tourism season, eyes pandemic restoration

Greek Tourism Minister Harry Tehoharis started the tourism season and said that “dark clouds of fear and uncertainty” have dissolved

Greece starts the tourism season on Friday. Both the government and tour operators hope that the lure of sun, sand and sea after last year’s miserable holiday season will bring a much-needed boost in sales.

“We’re dropping anchor,” said Tourism Minister Harry Theoharis as he started the Christmas season on Thursday evening from the ancient Greek temple Poseidon on Cape Sounion near Athens.

“We are leaving the dark clouds of fear and uncertainty behind,” he added, saying that foreign tourists were eager to return to the country to enjoy the sunshine and turquoise waters.

The announcement couldn’t come soon enough for restaurateurs and coffee shop owners, who are eagerly preparing for diners to return after suffering from coronavirus lockdown measures for so long.

“We hope for a good season … and that people choose our country and our island,” said Alexandros Koukourakis as he set up tables and chairs in his restaurant near the old town of Chania on the island of Crete.

“We have had a difficult time while we are still taking precautionary measures.”

According to government regulations announced on Wednesday, anyone traveling to Greek islands by sea or air must provide a certificate of vaccination or a negative COVID-19 test result.

Anyone traveling to Greece must present a vaccination certificate or a negative Covid-19 test result

Europe’s leading tour operator TUI has planned 120 flights to Greece by the end of May, with the first six landing on Friday and another 15 on Saturday.

Around 40 international inbound flights at 14 Greek regional airports are expected on Friday and another 110 flights are expected on Saturday.

Most of the islands have less extensive health facilities than the mainland and an initiative to vaccinate the local population is underway.

Almost four million vaccinations have already been carried out nationwide, including around 1.4 million double doses in the country of 10.8 million.

In an early setback, the UK put Greece on its amber travel list, which means returning Brits must be in quarantine for at least five days.

Greek hoteliers expect that there are still some restrictions for travelers across Europe tourism Sector recovering by late June or early July, along with higher vaccination rates.

The pandemic affected the Greek economy, which is heavily dependent on the tourism sector, which accounts for more than 20 percent of GDP

Hotel business slowly

“We currently have no reservations and only 15-20 percent of the hotels will be operational this Friday, while the rest will gradually be open until the end of June,” said Grigoris Tasios, President of the Greek Hoteliers Association.

The pandemic has deeply hit the Greek economy and is heavily dependent on the tourism sector, which accounts for more than 20 percent of GDP.

According to the Greek Tourism Association (INSETE), tourism revenue fell from 18 billion euros in 2019 to 4.28 billion euros (5.0 billion US dollars) in 2020, while tourist arrivals fell 76.5 percent to just 7, 4 million euros fell.

The Greek government, as well as other tourism-dependent southern EU countries, want Brussels to quickly agree on a travel certificate that allows vaccinated people, a negative test or antibodies to move without quarantine.

The opening of the tourism sector comes as the Greeks are allowed to be free in the country for the first time since November.

The opening of the tourism sector comes as the Greeks are allowed to be free in the country for the first time since November

“Last year everything was blurry, now we are entering a different tourist season,” said George Segredos, owner of a beach bar on the island of Kos.

“We aim to achieve about half of 2019 sales,” he told AFP.

But not all tourist destinations will be accessible.

The Greek island of Kalymnos remains strictly closed due to numerous recent infections, which shows how fragile and fluid the situation remains.

“We were preparing to open at the beginning of May, fetching supplies and hiring staff, and suddenly we are deep red,” said Michalis Petridis, owner of a beach and night bar in Kalymnos.

“This constant change in the rules harms us,” he said.

The EU is examining vaccine certificates to support summer tourism

© 2021 AFP

Quote: Greece starts tourism season, eye pandemic recovery (2021, May 14) Retrieved on May 14, 2021 from https://medicalxpress.com/news/2021-05-greece-tourism-season-eyes-pandemic.html

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