(CNN) – Greece has raised quarantine requirements for vaccinated travelers and those who have tested negative for Covid-19 in key tourism markets, including Europe, the United Kingdom and the United States, in what officials have called “baby steps” on the road. back to normal.
But while qualified visitors will be able to check in at hotels to enjoy the Greek sun and beaches, they will be subject to the same restrictions as locals, which means restaurants and bars will stay out of bounds, except for food. to eat.
The move marks the first time the country has been open to US visitors since March 2020, when Greece entered its first blockade since the start of the pandemic.
It also makes Greece one of the first major European destinations to reopen to tourists before the summer season – an evolution that could see it stealing a significant amount of holiday traffic away from rival hotspots.
Under the new rules, arrivals from the EU, the United Kingdom, the United States, Israel, Serbia and the UAE who have been vaccinated or have a negative PCR test up to 72 hours before arrival may enter.
Officials said rapid checks will be carried out at entry points, and quarantine hotels are ready to accommodate those who have tested positive during the process. Safety protocols, including the wearing of masks and social distancing, will remain in place.
Greek Tourism Minister Harry Theoharis told CNN that the country “is taking these steps, the beginning of a process of gradual opening that will lead to a full opening of tourism in Greece on May 14th.” We will make adjustments in the coming weeks. “
“Slow start”
Mykonos Island, presented here in May 2020, received less than a third of its regular tourism revenue last year.
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In addition to Athens and the city of Thessaloniki on the east coast, direct international flights are now allowed in some of the most popular holiday destinations in Greece in Crete, Rhodes, Kos, Mykonos, Santorini and Corfu.
The tourism sector accounts for more than 20% of the country’s GDP and about 25% of Greece’s workforce – more than a million jobs.
With such a sector-dependent economy and only gradually recovering from a financial crisis of almost ten years, Athens has campaigned vigorously to introduce vaccine passports to encourage travel across the EU. He has also been in talks with non-EU countries to try to establish travel corridors.
Israeli visitors testing negative or with vaccination certificates have been exempted from a one-week quarantine since early April, but officials say other ongoing restrictions plus a recent rise in Greek cases have discouraged all but a few. .
Monday’s opening announcement was welcomed on the popular island of Mykonos. Mayor Konstantinos Koukas said that the revenues for the 2020 season, which was hit by Covid, were only 30% compared to the previous year.
Iraklis Zissimopoulos, CEO of the Semeli Hospitality Group, which includes hotels, bars and restaurants on the island, described lifting the quarantine restrictions as a symbolic move.
“It sends the message that Greece keeps its promise to open fully in May and as such is welcome,” he said. “We know it’s going to be a slow start.”
“Shield of protection”
Even with Greece’s vaccination program progressing at a modest pace – currently less than 10% of the population has received a dose – more restrictions are expected to be lifted in the weeks leading up to May 14.
Starting next month, once the most vulnerable groups have been vaccinated, those working in tourism are expected to be next.
But dozens of smaller islands in Greece, with less than 1,000 inhabitants, are now without Covid, the entire population has received both blows. The vaccination program is now expanding to larger islands.
We hope that securing the islands will allow Greece to offer specific areas without Covid.
“If all the locals are vaccinated in Mykonos, an island of about 10,000, then we will have a protective shield,” says Zissimopoulos, who is also a cardiologist.
What is certain is that the desire to travel is there.
Earlier this month, an experiment designed by tourism industry experts saw nearly 200 Dutch participants flying to the island of Rhodes, trading deadlock back home for a week of voluntary imprisonment at a beach resort.
They were not allowed to leave the resort during their stay and agreed to quarantine them for up to 10 days when they returned home.
The “Safe Holiday” test attracted requests from more than 25,000 people in less than 24 hours, according to Martine Langerak, a spokeswoman for tour operator Sunweb, which organized the trip under the auspices of the Dutch government.
Special moments
Roxane Seewoester: “We hope they will be able to come and celebrate the special moment with their loved ones.”
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“We were surprised by the demand. It shows how much people want to go on vacation,” Langerak told CNN.
Despite Greece’s decision to open its borders, some countries such as the United Kingdom still have restrictions in place that hinder international travel, and the recent rise in infections in Greece means that quarantine rules may apply to tourists on their way home.
Experts in the Greek tourism industry agree that it will be a slow start, with bookings only starting to rise in July. This means that hundreds of thousands working in tourism and related industries will have to wait to find out if and when they will have a job this summer.
Roxane Seewoester, a 25-year-old wedding planner at Golden Apple Weddings in Rhodes, a destination that normally receives more than two million tourists a year, says most tourist weddings were canceled last year.
This summer, they are gradually being pushed back again.
“We work a lot with people from the United States and Australia,” she says. “It’s a long journey. People need months to plan. We hope they can come and celebrate the special moment with their loved ones and that we will all be able to continue our lives.”