International tourism to Greece may pick up starting late June

Greece may start to see a significant rise in foreign tourist arrivals from late June or early July, as uncertainty over the pandemic continues.

Deputy president of the Greek hoteliers union Christina Tetradi told AMNA, that there are few bookings in June, with most hotels having put off their opening until the middle of that month.

Roughly 10% of hotels have opened after the official start of the tourism season, with most waiting until the coast becomes clear with respect to Greece's main markets, which are the UK, Germany, Russia and Scandinavian countries.

It is essential for Greece to become green on the ECDC map, Tetradi emphasised, saying this will be the deciding factor for the last-minute travellers.

As reported on GCT, quarantine-free travel could be on the cards for Greek Islands of Santorini, Kos, Rhodes and Zakynthos if they are upgraded to the UK's ‘green list’ next week

According to Michalis Vamiedakis, founder of a hotel chain and the Deltanet Travel agency, another key factor would be avoiding bad developments on the pandemic front in October and November, when the flight planning for the following year is done and hoteliers and travel agents start negotiations for new contracts and bookings in 2022.

Mayors in smaller island destinations, meanwhile, reported a more hopeful picture and said that the fast vaccination on islands, combined with low cases, have generate confidence, with bookings coming from Greece, France, Germany and Italy, as well as Balkan markets, in July and August.

All You Want is Greece

In front of the spectacular backdrop of the Temple of Poseidon on Cape Sounion, Greece revealed its multimillion euro tourism campaign.

“In 2020, tourism won a difficult bet, which is why our country was awarded as a pioneer in the opening of the tourism industry,” said Tourism Minister Harry Theoharis.

“Today our country is projected as a model for pandemic management in relation to Greek tourism…We open sails safely,” he added.

All travellers to Greece will have to fill in a passenger locator form (PLF) detailing where they will be staying and for how long and will also have to present a certificate of vaccination against Covid-19 or a recent negative PCR test or an official document certifying recent recovery from the virus.

Theoharis said that a system will be set up for Covid tests to be carried out at regular intervals at popular tourist destinations, while the government will also be leasing hotels to act as quarantine stations in the event of outbreaks.

he “All you want is Greece” campaign consists of five videos answering the question “What do you want?”

The videos, lasting 30 seconds each, present the country’s myriad attractions – from its serene beaches and dramatic landscapes, and its historical and cultural legacy, to its culinary traditions, high-end services and off-the-beaten path experiences.

*More on GCT: Top 10 Tourist Destinations in Greece