Greece pins tourism restoration hopes on small islands – POLITICO

ATHENS – Greece literally thinks small when it comes to reopening to tourists this summer.

Since the country is desperate to leave vacationers behind, it is making sure that residents of small islands and islets get their coronavirus vaccinations so that these locations can be marketed as COVID-free.

There are also practical reasons for prioritizing small islets in vaccination, as officials say there would be little point in sending medical teams back and forth to administer doses to different populations over time.

Fournoi, Chalki, Symi, Ereikousa and dozens of other tiny islands with fewer than 1,000 residents in the Aegean and Ionian Seas have been targeted by authorities. Kastellorizo, the most distant island in the country on the easternmost edge of the Dodecanese, was the first place in Greece where the entire adult population was vaccinated – all 500.

“Pretty much everyone between the ages of 20 and 94 has been vaccinated. It makes us feel free and more optimistic about ourselves, our lives and the people around us, ”said the island’s deputy mayor, Stratis Amygdalos.

“We can see the reverse trend from the same period last year,” he said. “In March last year we started returning some prepayments [to people who had booked to stay on the island]Now we have some calls for possible reservations. “

Greece has been hit economically by the coronavirus, as tourism accounts for more than a fifth of its economic output and, according to the government, employs around a quarter of the workforce World Travel and Tourism Council.

Tourism revenues fell from EUR 18 billion in 2019 and the economy as a whole to EUR 4.28 billion in 2020 shrank 8.2 percent, putting pressure on a country that emerged from a decades-long recession and has one of the largest debt burdens in the world. The number of tourists fell by 76.5 percent in 2020 to just 7.4 million Greek Tourism Association Institute (INSETE).

“The only thing that can be said for sure is that this year will be better than 2020,” said Tourism Minister Harry Theocharis POLITICO in an interview. “Last year, under much more difficult circumstances, we managed to open and maintain the necessary balance. This summer, with more tools and data and the confidence of the vaccination program, we can do something much better. “

If you have a certificate, you will travel

The Greek government wants an EU-level agreement on a vaccination certificate that people can use to prove that they have been bitten. President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen said At the beginning of this month, the Commission would like to resume travel within the EU and beyond with a so-called “Digital Green Certificate”.

Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis put the idea for a vaccination certificate to the Commission in January to “facilitate the free movement of people vaccinated against COVID-19”.

But Theocharis said the process was moving too slowly.

“If Europe continues to move slowly, it risks losing a great opportunity to demonstrate its global leadership,” he said. “We have to move forward as quickly as possible. I don’t think it’s a technical problem. There should be political will from all countries for this to happen as soon as possible. “

However, Theocharis said the European proposal was compatible with the Greek plan.

“It answers any questions you might have and doesn’t exclude anyone: it includes PCR tests, vaccines, or antibodies. It is done carefully so that there are no privacy concerns. Thanks to the numerous options, someone who does not want to say they have been vaccinated can get a PCR test. It ensures one of the main freedoms of the European Union, freedom of movement, ”said the minister.

Even if Greece is still locked, it is signed a deal last month with Israel allowing people vaccinated against the coronavirus to move freely between the two countries after travel restart. Athens is working on more bilateral agreements, including with the UK and Serbia.

But as soon as the trip can resume, which Greece is hoping for, it will be on May 14th – “we are relatively certain … that this date is certain, given the good weather and vaccination progress as allies,” said Theocharis – it won’t be business as usual.

Hotels and tourism companies must adhere to strict hygiene rules and maintain social distance, and employees must be tested twice a month.

It’s not clear when and under what conditions nightclubs and bars will reopen, but Theocharis said that over the past year, “the areas where parties were held were the ones that caused all the problems”.

The government says that those who work in the tourism sector will be given vaccination priority after vaccination of vulnerable groups is complete. However, there is no set date when this should start.

Theocharis also rejected criticism that tourism was responsible for the country second wave last fall.

“Greek experts estimate the impact of tourism on the spread of the virus at 3 percent. Figures show that we did not have the second wave in the middle of summer, but a week later than the northern European countries,” he said. “After all, even countries like Israel that haven’t opened up to tourism had the second wave in the middle of summer.”

Even if the minister’s timing is right, business groups estimate that tourism revenues would still only hit around 40 to 50 percent of 2019 levels.

“Numbers don’t add up to our survival, even in the best scenario,” said Grigoris Tasios, president of the Greek Federation of Hoteliers and owner of a hotel in Halkidiki. “After a drop of 80 percent in 2020, this would still be a drop of 50 percent. I’m afraid that from 2022 to 2025 we will need an internal rescue operation in the tourism sector.”

As long as the country stays in the “dark red” category in terms of infections, there will be no tourists in Greece before June. But he expects the stream of tourists to start after that.

“Tourists now know how to protect themselves,” said Tasios. “They have enough bans in their countries and will start looking to book when we turn to the green category.”

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