Greece offers to waive 14-day quarantine for British tourists

Greece still has a 14-day coronavirus quarantine for arrivals, but the country has offered to waive it for British tourists if the same was done for Greeks entering the UK, Greek Tourism Minister Harry Theoharis said during an interview on BBC on Tuesday.

Theoharis added that revenue from its vital tourism industry has been hammered as a result of the pandemic and lockdown measures.

His announcement came as ministers discuss coronavirus “air bridges” — usually used to refer to military flights over enemy territory — to allow tourists to travel between countries without the need for quarantine once the outbreak is under control.

Meanwhile, British Transport Secretary Grant Shapps said a 'blanket' 14-day quarantine rule for arrivals will be introduced from next month. But he disclosed that there are 'active discussions' going on over what countries could be exempted from the regime in future, referring to the idea of 'air bridges'.

The past week has seen organised beaches reopen, travel to prefectures and to Crete allowed again, archeological sites reopen and on May 25th, restaurants, bars and cafes will open again.

Authorities are eager to reopen Greece’s vital tourism sector amid warnings that the country is likely to suffer the worst recession in the 27-nation European Union this year.