Minister to BBC: Greece feels ready for the opening of the tourist season

Greece feels ready for the start of the tourist season, Deputy Minister to the Prime Minister Akis Skertsos said in two interviews with the BBC (to World News and Newsday), while he also fielded questions about the National Recovery and Resilience Plan 'Greece 2.0', ANA reports.

He pointed to the very successful management of tourist flows in 2020, which had helped keep Covid cases to a minimum over the summer, noting that this system would now be further boosted by the ongoing vaccination programme that was making rapid progress.

"We believe that by the end of June, nearly 50 pct of the adult population of the country will be vaccinated, in which case we will have built a significant wall of immunity and will be able to receive tourists from Britain and the rest of Europe," he said.

Asked about the validity of vaccination certificates supplied by visitors, Skertsos noted that there was an agreement with Greece's European partners for a "green vaccination card" system, which will indicate whether the holder has been genuinely vaccinated. Otherwise, visitors must have a negative test result attached to their PLF form, which they must complete before visiting Greece.

He pointed out the EU's green certificate could also be a forerunner to an international anti-Covid certificate, while for non-EU visitors, such as those from Britain, he said they must attach a vaccination certificate or negative test to their PLF form a short time before arrival.

Read more at thenationalherald.com

RELATED TOPICS: Greece, Greek tourism news, Tourism in Greece, Greek islands, Hotels in Greece, Travel to Greece, Greek destinations, Greek travel market, Greek tourism statistics, Greek tourism report

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