#Greece to open airports to arrivals from 29 countries from June 15

Greece said Friday it would reopen its airports in Athens and Thessaloniki to arrivals from 29 countries from June 15, the start of the tourist season.

Visitors would be allowed to fly into Greece from 16 EU countries, including Germany, Austria, Denmark, Finland, the Czech Republic, Baltic countries, Cyprus and Malta, the tourism ministry said in a statement.

But countries hardest hit by the coronavirus pandemic -- such as France, Spain, Britain and Italy -- were not on the list.

Outside the European Union, holidaymakers from Switzerland, Norway, and neighboring Balkan countries such as Albania, Serbia and North Macedonia will be allowed to land at Greece's main airports from June 15.

The list also includes Australia, Japan, Israel, Lebanon, China, New Zealand and South Korea.

The ministry said that further countries could be added before July 1 when the country's regional airports also reopen.

"The list... has been drawn up on the basis of the epidemiological profile of each country," taking into account the recommendations of the European Aviation Safety Agency and a report by Greece's commission for infectious diseases, the statement said.

Some visitors will be tested at random for the virus, the tourism ministry said.

Since the start of the outbreak in March, there has been a limited number of flights arriving at Athens international airport, with passengers mandatorily tested and ordered to quarantine for 14 days.

Greece began the gradual easing of lockdown restrictions on May 4, and will start reopening its hotels next month.

It has been less severely affected by the COVID-19 pandemic that many EU countries, with 175 deaths and 2,906 infections officially registered so far.

Accounting for around 20 percent of Greece's gross domestic product, the tourism sector is hoping to salvage at least some of this year's summer season. 

Source - TheJakartaPost

#Greek tourism operators see massive drop in 2020 arrivals

Greek tourism operators on Thursday said they expect a 70-percent drop in arrivals this year after the government announced the season could restart in mid-June.

"Arrivals will be down by at least 70 percent," Greek hoteliers chief Grigoris Tasios told SKAI TV, adding that a "maximum" of eight to nine million visitors could be expected.

Irini Toliou, head of the Greek association of congress organizers, agreed with the estimate.

"We have July to September left to work, provided (the virus) does not return in September," she told state TV ERT.

According to Bank of Greece figures, the country in 2019 had over 34 million visitors producing revenue of over 18 billion euros ($20 billion).

The government on Wednesday said the  tourism period would begin on June 15 with the first resumption of international flights through Athens  airport.

Direct flights to the Greek islands will begin July 1.

Restaurants and bars are scheduled to reopen on Monday after open-air archaeological sites opened this week. Museums are to reopen on June 15.

With Greece suffering fewer than 170 COVID-19 deaths over two months into the pandemic, Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis on Wednesday said Athen's prompt response to the virus would be a "passport of safety, credibility and health" to attract visitors.

Tourism Minister Harry Theocharis has said a list of nations resuming flights to Greece would be announced by the end of May, with a focus on reviving a travel front "from the Balkans to the Baltic."

Bulgarians and northern Europeans including Germans will be among the first visitors, the minister said, in addition to Israelis and Cypriots.

Incoming travelers will not be required to undergo virus testing or quarantine, but sample tests will be carried out in tourist areas for epidemiological purposes, the tourism minister said on Wednesday.

Still recovering from a decade-long debt crisis, Greece badly needs tourism income that directly and indirectly accounts for over a fifth of the economy.

Many operators have expressed scepticism about reopening owing to strict spacing rules.

Source - TheJakartaPost

#Greece to restart tourism mid-June, international flights July 1

Greece will restart its tourism season on June 15 and gradually restore international flights from July 1 to boost its economy after the virus lockdown, Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said Wednesday.

With Greece suffering fewer than 170 COVID-19 deaths over two months into the pandemic, Mitsotakis said the country's prompt response to the virus would be a "passport of safety, credibility and health" to attract visitors.

"The tourism period begins June 15, when seasonal hotels can reopen, and direct international flights to our tourist destinations will gradually begin July 1," Mitsotakis said in a televised address.

"We will win the economy war just as we won the health battle," Mitsotakis said.

Tourism Minister Harry Theocharis said a list of nations resuming flights to Greece would be announced by the end of May, noting that Athens would focus on reviving a travel front "from the Balkans to the Baltic."

Bulgarians and northern Europeans including Germans will be among the first visitors, the minister said, in addition to Israelis and Cypriots.

Incoming travelers will not be required to undergo virus testing or quarantine, but sample tests will be carried out in tourist areas for epidemiological purposes, the minister said.

Greece so far has carried out fewer than 140,000 tests among 11 million.

Theocharis added that 600 beds would be specifically set aside for coronavirus care on Greek islands, which are traditionally among the country's top travel destinations.

The EU last week said holidaymakers could be asked to wear facemasks on planes, respect social distancing on the beach and even book slots to use hotel pools.

Restaurants to reopen Monday

The country, which is still recovering from a decade-long debt crisis, badly needs tourism income that directly and indirectly accounts for over a fifth of its economy.

Many operators have expressed skepticism about reopening owing to strict spacing rules.

Lockdown restrictions began to be lifted on May 4, reversing a wave of shutdowns which followed Greece's first recorded COVID-19 death on March 12.

Restaurants are scheduled to reopen on Monday after open-air archaeological sites were opened earlier this week and paid beaches over the weekend. Museums are to reopen on June 15.

According to Bank of Greece figures, the country in 2019 had over 34 million visitors and revenue of over 18 billion euros ($20 billion).

To increase Greece's appeal, tax on all transport will be reduced to 13 percent from the current 24 percent for the coming five months, the prime minister said.

And struggling businesses can be flexible with staff working hours to cut cost, he said.

The Greek finance ministry earlier on Wednesday noted that without support measures for businesses, the country could face an economic contraction of up to 13 percent this year.

The jobless rate is also expected to approach 20 percent this year.

The Greek government has announced a support package of around 24 billion euros, including EU funds, to help shore up the economy.

Source - TheJakartaPost

Acropolis in Athens reopens after virus shutdown

Greece reopened the Acropolis in Athens and all open-air archaeological sites in the country to the public on Monday after a two-month closure due to the coronavirus pandemic.

A clutch of tourists and masked reporters gathered at the world-famous site, the most-visited monument in Greece.

"We have never seen so few people at the Acropolis," a Russian visitor accompanied by her husband told AFP

"It's like having a private visit," said the woman, who has lived in Athens for five years.

President Katerina Sakellaropoulou was among the first visitors to the ancient Greek complex that sits on a rocky outcrop overlooking the capital and which had been closed since March 23.

Culture Minister Lina Mendoni, journalists and employees -- many wearing face masks -- attended, as well as a few tourists, with measures to control the virus enforced.

Separation screens have been put up and the sites have been disinfected, the culture ministry said.

Visitors will be encouraged to wear masks -- which will be compulsory for guides at the site -- and guests will be asked to stay 1.5 meters apart.

"Archaeological sites are open from Monday May 18, the first stage in a progressive re-launch of the country's cultural foundations," the culture and sports ministry said in a statement.

'Precious achievement' 

Greece is dotted with dozens of temples, stadiums, theaters and citadels from Antiquity, including the Bronze Age Minoan palace of Knossos on Crete, and Olympus, cradle of the Olympic Games.

The Acropolis saw 2.9 million visitors last year, a 14.2 percent increase on the previous year.

But all museums will not be open until June 15 under the government's plan to gradually lift restriction to halt the spread of COVID-19.

Tourism is a major economic engine for Greece and has been hit hard by confinement measures in place to stem the spread of the virus.

Athens expects the economy to contract nearly five percent this year, partly due to the loss of tourism income from key markets such as Germany, Britain and the United States.

With 163 deaths from the virus, Greece started easing the measures this month after a six-week lockdown with an eye to salvaging the vital tourism season.

The country has suffered less from the pandemic than many other European nations and restaurants are due to resume trading from May 25, a week earlier than originally planned.

Mendoni praised the pandemic response and said it allowed for the gradual reopening of key tourist sites.

"This is a precious achievement, it allows for the resumption of the tourist season which will be extended to make up for" lost time, she said earlier.

Source - TheJakartaPost