Greece officially opens to international tourism, visitors feel ‘like being alive again’

Greece officially opened its doors to international tourists on May 15, with high expectations for the summer revival of the tourism industry, which has been ravaged by the Covid-19 pandemic.
From May 15, foreign tourists will be allowed to enter Greece without quarantine, if they have been vaccinated against Covid-19 or have a negative Covid-19 test result. These visitors are also allowed to travel between regions, including the Greek islands.

After months of closure, Greece also opened museums and popular archaeological sites, including the Acropolis, this week. The streets of Athens’ tourist area of ​​Plaka are once again crowded with visitors to see the stalls and souvenirs. Walking in the city center of Athens, Victoria Sanchez – a 22-year-old tourist from the Czech Republic shared, she felt “like being revived, after having spent a long and difficult year because of Covid– 19”. A tourist from Mexico said it is very beneficial to come to Greece at this time, because the destinations are not flooded with tourists. And Rebecca – a tourist from Florida (USA), said: “Finally, I’m here. I had to wait two years, two years with Covid. It’s good now!”. Tourists visit the Roman Agora ruins, Athens, Greece on May 15. Source: Reuters Greece is rolling out vaccinations on the islands, with most expected to be completed by the end of June. The government says tourists can travel safely thanks to vaccinations and rapid testing, as well as warmer weather that facilitates outdoor activities. Greece has also lifted restrictions on the islands, allowing more people to travel from the mainland to these destinations. A flight carrying German and French tourists to the island of Corfu recently received a very warm welcome. “We are very happy. I am very happy to be here,” said a French tourist, shortly after arriving on the island. 2020 was a bad year for the Greek tourism industry, with only 7 million international arrivals compared to 33 million in 2019. Tourism revenue fell from EUR 18 billion to EUR 4 billion. This year, Greece aims to recover the tourism industry by 40% of 2019.