The journey back to normality has officially begun for Greece. On the 9th of March the minister for tourism Harry Theocharis announced that international travelers will be admitted into the country as long as they are vaccinated.
That isn't all, though, passengers must also have proof of antibodies and a negative test prior to arrival. The scheme is due to begin on the 14th of May dependent on restriction levels, and still plans to admit passengers who have only had one vaccine.
The news comes just after Cyprus announced earlier this month it will welcome tourists from the start of May. The plans all seem idyllic, but will it go ahead?
Rates of infection for the entirety of Greece and its islands are slowly rising. On the 11th of March the rolling average was 2,116 new cases a day, rising from a low average of 454 on the 22nd January. (Source: worldometers)
The risks of opening such a wide array of islands so early this year are huge. An outbreak on one of the islands could lead to tourists spreading new variants back to their home countries.
In my eyes, I believe the industry should wait until the summer to avoid a catastrophic outbreak that could jeopardise the second half of the year into a winter worse than 2020.
Borders will open one day and we will jet off again, but travel executives must be careful to avoid another loss in revenue for 2022.
Feature Image Credit: Piqsels.com
