After opening the borders for the summer season, the Greek Government has been congratulated for the actions that it has taken in order to revitalize travel within Greece.
The Greek tourism minister Harry Theoharis announced a few days ago that the country is opening its borders for all persons that have been vaccinated or have tested negative for the COVID-19, starting from May 14.
“The World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) and its Members praise the Greek government for its tremendous efforts and strategic steps taken to restart international travel from May 14,” the President and CEO of WTTC Gloria Guevara said.
According to a press release issued by WTTC, the clear roadmap recovery would help the economy of Greece since many persons are eager to get away and spend the summer holidays there, SchengenVisaInfo.com reports.
The Council asserts that the decision taken by Greece sets an example for other countries to follow and helps to start revitalizing the economy through the travel sector.
Commenting on the roadmap recovery, WTTC noted that the Greek Government’s approach and actions are in concordance with their suggestions, and they are excited to know that the country will be welcoming travellers that have already been vaccinated or are able to present a negative Coronavirus test.
Furthermore, WTTC pointed out that the increased hygiene and health measures, entry requirements, mandatory mask-wearing throughout the journey, and public spaces are enough to reassure travellers that it is completely safe to book their trips to Greece.
Greece is one of the most popular European destinations for travellers, and it depends significantly on international travel, especially on German and British tourists.
Previously, the UN World Tourism Organisation announced that 2020 was the worst year for global tourism, with only 7,4 million people travelling to Greece. This number is significantly lower than during Greece’s economic crisis and lower than the figures for 2019, which numbered 31,3 million travellers.
“In 2019, it’s Travel & Tourism sector contributed 20,8 per cent to the nation’s overall GDP of €39.1 billion and supported more than one-fifth of all jobs – which shows just how important Travel & Tourism will be to powering its economy,” the World Travel and Tourism Council reported.
Following the decision that Greece has taken, WTTC considers that the Greek roadmap encourages other countries to return safe travelling as soon as vaccines are distributed. However, the tourism minister Harry Theoharis said that all tourists could be subject to random testing.
Greece is also one of the first countries to announce the launch of digital vaccination certificates for all citizens that have received the two vaccine doses against the Coronavirus.
