Greek PM: My message to you is very simple. Come to Greece.

·

The safety of tourists is a top priority for Greece as it opens its airports to foreign visitors, Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said on Saturday on a visit to the popular holiday island of Santorini.

International flights to and from the country’s main airports will resume on June 15, after a nearly three-month lockdown. Accounting for about 20 percent of Greece’s economic output, tourism is vital for the Mediterranean nation, which emerged from a decade-long debt crisis in 2018.

“It is a great pleasure to be here in Santorini… to send a message: Greece is ready to welcome tourists this summer by putting their safety and their health as a number one priority,” Mitsotakis said.

Greek Prime Minister, Kyriakos Mitsotakis, touring the archaeological site of Akrotiri in Santorini. Source: Reuters.

Famous for its sunsets and black sandy beaches, the volcanic island draws millions of tourists each year.

Greece has boosted numbers of medical staff on its popular islands. Mitsotakis, wearing a surgical mask, also visited health facilities and doctors on Santorini.

READ MORE: Greece to accept tourists from Australia and 28 other countries as of June 15.

The country will conduct coronavirus tests on all visitors arriving from airports deemed high-risk by the European Union’s aviation safety agency EASA from Monday. Visitors will be quarantined up to 14 days, depending on the test result.

Passengers arriving from all other airports will be randomly tested. 

About 33 million tourists visited Greece last year, generating revenues of 19 billion euros.

Restrictions on movement imposed in March helped Greece contain the spread of COVID-19 infections to just above 3,000 cases, a relatively low number compared with elsewhere in the European Union. But it brought its business and tourism sector to a virtual standstill and the country now expects its economy to shrink by up to 13 percent this year.

Source: Reuters.

Advertisement

Share:

KEEP UP TO DATE WITH TGH

By subscribing you accept our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy.

Advertisement

Latest News

Historic ties remembered as Greece’s Evzones march in Adelaide’s ANZAC Day parade

During a Dawn Service at West Torrens on Friday, April 25, the Evzones stood guard alongside Australian army battalion in remembrance.

Greek glamour meets Aussie pop: Inside the colourful universe of Stavroula Adameitis

Adelaide-born designer Stavroula Adameitis is a creator of bespoke pieces that she describes as ‘wearable art.’

Melbourne seminar to focus on the odyssey of Michel ‘Pablo’ Raptis

Michel Pablo was a twentieth century revolutionary whose life and ideas remain relevant and inspirational until today.

Lawyer Greg Masselos warns NSW workers’ comp changes could devastate frontline workers

Greg Masselos has warned that proposed changes by the NSW government to raise the threshold for claims could have devastating consequences.

Niki Louca shares how to make Focaccia Bread

Niki Louca from My Greek Kitchen shares her favourite recipe for pita bread with The Greek Herald. You can follow her on Instagram.

You May Also Like

Record number of 284 cases in Greece as emergency measures issued for Lesvos

Greek health authorities announced a daily record 284 new coronavirus cases on Sunday. There were also two new deaths.

Greek Solution party supports GCM’s call to fix slow service at Greek Consulate in Melbourne

The GCM called for a solution to the slow service at the Greek Consulate. It has since received the backing of the Greek Solution party.

The inventor of the first electric car, Konstantinos Adraktas, has died

Konstantinos Adraktas, the Greek man who invented the first electric car to enter production worldwide, has died.