ATHENS – The COVID-19 pandemic brought Greece’s most profitable industry, tourism, to its knees.
But a yr for the reason that lethal bug hit, causing mass travel cancellations and wreaking financial havoc unseen since Greece’s economy went into freefall over a decade ago, tourism officials say they’re now marshaling an industry comeback. They’re preparing to reopen the nation to world travelers by June 1 with a new “safe journey” plan that lets guests bypass quarantine laws with a negative coronavirus test taken within 72 hours of their departure.
What’s extra, a burst in bookings from the U.K. has industry officials banking on British travelers to spearhead the nation’s travel revival.
This week, U.S. health officers introduced that more Americans had received at least one dose of the coronavirus vaccine than having tested positive for the virus.
International tourism has been among the industries hit hardest by the public health emergency. The pandemic has affected 75 million individuals employed in a sector brought to a near standstill by travel bans and closed borders.
However, for Greece, where tourism accounts for 20 % of GDP, providing one in 5 jobs in a country still crawling out of its worst financial crisis in recent times, the stakes are higher.
It is not an easy challenge. After 5 strict months, three national lockdowns, and a surge in infections that have seen COVID-19 cases here rocket from 3,000 in September to 160,000 this week.
But till then, tourism businesses and hoteliers, who preferred to remain closed last yr, are wasting no time positioning themselves for a stake within the estimated $10 billion in revenues that British travelers are set to convey to Greece this yr, beginning in June.
As many as 2 million overseas travelers shall be redeeming vouchers for vacation packages canceled last summer due to the pandemic, based on industry data. The number of Israelis and Americans in the following suit stays unclear.
Tourism ministry officials say they have received assurances from the government that it will subsidize salaries within the industry during the summer. Still, it has but to decide when and whether incentives shall be introduced to cover startup and reopening costs and assist a hoteliers bill seen by some as key to any comeback in Greek tourism.
