Greece is preparing to welcome tourists again as long as they can prove they have antibodies, have a negative COVID-19 test, or have been vaccinated.
Tourism Minister Harry Theocharis announced the country’s plan to welcome back travelers by May 14 during a presentation at the ITB Berlin trade show, Reuters reported.
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“Greece is ready with a complete protocol for summer 2021,” said Theocharis. “Tourists will be welcome if before travel they are either vaccinated, or have antibodies, or test negative. All tourists will be subject to random testing.”
Tourism is key to Greece’s economy, accounting for 18% of the country’s GDP and employing more than 900,000 people.
Pre-pandemic, more than 31 million people visited Greece. Officials hope to have at least half that number of tourists this year.
Greece is not the only country preparing to accept vaccinated travelers. Seychelles, Estonia, Cyprus, Iceland, Belize, and Thailand are a handful of countries that have announced they are or rolling out plans soon, to allow access for visitors who are fully vaccinated.
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