E-Paper
Greece to lift Covid-19 quarantine status for tourists from these countries
_1618483308605_1618483318927.jpg "Greece to lift Covid-19 quarantine status for tourists from these countries (Photo by Hello Lightbulb on Unsplash)")
In an effort of gradual re-opening of tourism sector that accounts for about a fifth of the Greek economy and more than a quarter of jobs, Greece plans to lift the compulsory Covid-19 quarantine for tourists from these nations
Greece plans to lift a seven-day compulsory quarantine for visitors from the European Union and five other countries including the US and UK as of next week, according to a person familiar with the matter.
The April 19 move is part of a gradual re-opening of a tourism sector that’s one of the country’s most important, accounting for about a fifth of the Greek economy and more than a quarter of jobs. Revenue from the industry plunged by more than 76% in 2020 as governments closed borders and imposed lockdowns to contain the coronavirus.
Alongside fellow EU countries, Greece will not request isolation from visitors from the US, UK, Serbia, Israel and United Arab Emirates, the person said. They will still need to provide proof of vaccination or a negative Covid-19 test from within 72 hours before arrival.
Whether tourists from those countries will be able to travel remains to be seen. A resurgence of coronavirus cases has hit many parts of Europe, where a vaccine-rollout plan is at an early stage. The U.K. is further advanced with inoculations, but has held back on confirming that citizens will be able to resume leisure travel from May 17.
A Greek government spokeswoman confirmed the plans, without specifying the affected countries.
“It’s a pilot opening, a mini pilot implementation of the green pass,” Aristotelia Peloni said in a briefing Thursday. “Visitors will be subject to the same restrictions as Greek citizens.”
Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis was the first European leader to ask for a vaccine passport that will make travelling easier for those who have been inoculated. Tourism Minister Haris Theoharis is also visiting Russia to meet with government officials ahead of this year’s tourism season.
Catch your daily dose of Fashion, Taylor Swift, Health, Festivals, Travel, Relationship, Recipe and all the other Latest Lifestyle News on Hindustan Times Website and APPs.
