Greece to reopen tourism providers on Might 15 | Journey

FILE – This Wednesday May 20, 2020, a worker is putting chairs in a seafood restaurant ahead of its reopening in Piraeus near Athens. Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said on Wednesday April 21, 2021 that the country’s tourism industry will open on May 15, when a travel ban between different regions of the country is lifted. In addition, restaurants and cafes can now open their outdoor areas again on May 3rd. (AP Photo / Thanassis Stavrakis, file)

Thanassis Stavrakis

From DEREK GATOPOULOS Associated Press

ATHENS, Greece (AP) – Greece announces that its tourism services will open on May 15, although a travel ban between different regions in the country will be lifted.

Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis announced this in a televised address on Wednesday, adding that restaurants and cafes will be allowed to reopen outside areas from May 3.

FILE – People are enjoying the beach in the suburb of Glyfada, southwest of Athens this Sunday May 10, 2020. Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said on Wednesday April 21, 2021 that the country’s tourism industry will open on May 15, when a travel ban between different regions of the country is lifted. In addition, restaurants and cafes can now open their outdoor areas again on May 3rd. (AP Photo / Yorgos Karahalis, file)

Yorgos Karahalis

Restrictions, many of which have been in place since early November, will remain in place over Orthodox Easter on May 2nd.

“Our goal is a safe Easter and a free summer. But one cannot undermine the other, ”said Mitsotakis.

Birds fly as a man walks during a sunset in Alimos, a coastal suburb of Athens on Tuesday April 20, 2021. (AP Photo / Petros Giannakouris)

Petros Giannakouris

“That’s why we shouldn’t be traveling at Easter. Athens and other cities still have a lot of COVID cases. Mass movements carry the risk of spreading the virus everywhere. “

Despite lockdown measures, Greece has struggled to contain flare-ups in cases that started in late January and its death rate remains above the European Union average. The cumulative death toll reached 9,713 on Wednesday. Tourism is a key industry for the Greek economy, and travel revenue fell by more than 75% last year compared to 2019, from 18.2 billion euros to 4.3 billion euros (21.9 billion US dollars to 5.2 billion US dollars -Dollar). The slump and the effects of the domestic lockdown helped propel Greece into recession. The gross domestic product fell by 8.2% last year.