Greece is celebrating the reopening of its museums and private beaches this week, while the terraces of cafes and restaurants have been welcoming people since May 3. In their sights, the summer holidays and the launch of the tourist season scheduled for May 15 by the government, if the country manages to contain the number of daily cases of Covid-19. Some consider the date premature? This is not the opinion of Haris Theocharis, Greek Minister of Tourism. “
Professionals are already ready to receive visitors. They are waiting for the lifting of confinement
”. In early March, he unveiled the slogan for this summer's advertising campaign:
“All you want is Greece
”. Announcements followed by actions. "
We are gradually putting in place all the systems to verify and ensure the security of the international connection with other countries.
As and when [...] we will also gradually lift internal restrictions, ”
the Minister repeated.
Read also: Greek Islands: the 8 most beautiful to visit this summer
Since April 19, the septaine hitherto in force has been lifted for nationals of certain countries, including France and the states of the European Union.
The entry into Greece of travelers is however conditional on a prior form and the presentation of a negative PCR test of less than 72 hours, including for vaccinated travelers, who only escape for the moment the random test on arrival. .
Thessaloniki airports;
Heraklion and Chania in Crete;
Rhodes;
Kos, Mykonos and Santorini (Cyclades);
as well as Corfu, reopened in April their tracks to international flows, in addition to that of Athens.
Read also: Covid-19 and travel: what possible destinations for the French?
Our map, country by country
Gradual lifting of confinement, opening of hotels and restaurants ... What Greece is planning
Confined since November 7, the country continues to ease restrictions.
Non-essential businesses reopened in early April, while nursery and primary schools have been welcoming students again since May 10.
Greece (nearly 11 million inhabitants) has seen an increase in daily cases of the coronavirus (between 2,000 and 4,000) and deaths in recent weeks.
At the end of April, the country had just passed the symbolic threshold of 10,000 deaths, according to Johns Hopkins.
The government's strategy is based in part on vaccination.
To date, just over 3.5 million Greeks have been vaccinated, of which nearly 1.2 million have received the double dose.
Greece is working hard to complete as a priority the vaccination of dozens of small islands in the Aegean (east) and Ionian (west) before the vaccination of larger ones, welcoming millions of tourists each year.
Called by the authorities "Operation Freedom", the vaccination program across the territory "
continues in an exemplary manner on the islands
", welcomes Anargyros Mariolis, responsible for vaccination in Elafonisos.
The mayor of the 18km² island, Efi Liarou, assures us that "
70% of the population of the island will be vaccinated by mid-May, which constitutes a sort of shield for the inhabitants
".
Read the file: Greece: the
Figaro
travel guide
"
The rhythm of vaccination on the islands is fast" because the transport of vaccines is complicated and the operation must be done in a very short time
, explained on April 22 Marios Themistokleous, secretary general for health insurance, since l Cycladic island of Iraklia in the Aegean where he went with the Minister of Health Vassilis Kikilias to inspect the procedure.
"
We will soon complete the vaccination on islands of less than a thousand inhabitants before accelerating the operation on the largest islands,
" he said.
On the other hand, the government maintained the ban on movement from one region to another, even during the Orthodox Easter weekend (May 2).
Read also: Covid-19: Greece eases restrictions for some tourists
At the same time, the tourist agenda is becoming clearer.
The private beaches have been able to reopen since May 8.
The museums will follow from May 14, a few days before the archaeological sites (we think of the Acropolis of Athens) on the 18th. Open-air cinemas will have to wait until May 21 with reduced capacity.
Finally, the theaters will raise their curtains on May 28.
The terraces of bars and restaurants were able to reopen in Greece from then on May 3, as announced last month by Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis.
"
Restaurants will reopen outside and the curfew will be set at 11 pm with mandatory self-tests for employees, distance between seats and all well-known sanitary measures
," he said.
Most of the country's large hotel complexes reopen since April 29, such as Porto Carras, in Calcidique or Sani, in the same region, as well as hotels in Cyclades and Crete.
They will apply the health charter established last year.
Tour operators are smiling again, like Christos Panaretou from the Yalos Tour agency.
“
The goal is obvious: we have to save the season, it's vital, crucial.
Last year, the results were catastrophic with an overall drop in attendance of more than 70% and only 7.4 million visitors, the worst number in decades.
Even at the height of the economic crisis in 2013, visitors were more numerous.
Today, even though everything is still slowing down, we can finally hope.
»Tourism accounts for a fifth of the GDP.
Read also: Paros, a trip to the discreet charm of the Cyclades
Vaccination passport, quarantine, test ... What are the access conditions for tourists?
Greece, like the main tourist countries in southern Europe, is one of the zealots for the digital passport or vaccination certificate ("Digital Green certificate") to facilitate travel on the Old Continent and encourage holidaymakers. to travel this summer.
Sesame, already presented by the European Commission, should be launched in mid-June.
Read also: These countries that will welcome vaccinated tourists this summer
In the meantime, Athens has signed an agreement with Israel to allow unrestricted entry to the country for vaccinated tourists.
And is preparing to do the same with the United Kingdom, where 42 million doses have already been administered.
A priority line has already been installed in several Greek airports to facilitate the arrival of those who hold the precious sesame.
Read also: Health pass: the TousAntiCovid application will certify tests and vaccination
"
But the unvaccinated will not be excluded for all that",
already specified in March the Greek Minister of Tourism in
Figaro
.
"
They will simply have, as is currently the case, to present a negative PCR test of less than 72 hours as well as a QR code, by filling out a form
".
Read also: No, you will not need to be vaccinated to travel this summer
“
I work a lot with seaside resorts and I can assure you that the sun loungers are already out. The weather being good, some have installed them on the beaches - with respected distancing ",
adds the tour operator Christos Panaretou, stressing that
" since the announcement of the date of May 15 by the Minister, my phone starts ringing again.
Before the pandemic, nearly 1.5 million French people visited the country each year.
