Greece’s tourism industry is opening up for international visitors this summer, two months late, but looking to catch up on whatever revenue tourism can still bring to a year that has been stifled by the COVID-19 counter measures.
Preparations are underway to welcome guests from 29 countries, and Greece’s Tourism Minister Harry Theoharis urged Greek Australians to visit despite knowing that Australia’s borders currently remain shut to non-essential travel.
In a video message which appeared on the ABC, Mr Theoharis said, “We expect them to come back home to see us.”
With a welcoming smile, he said that the Greek diaspora should come and “see for themselves how we made this small miracle this year” in reference to the country’s battles against COVID-19. He urged diasporans in Australia to support Greece, and “not just because tourism is one of the most important industries for the Greek economy”.
He said, “It’s more than numbers, it is part of our psyche, part of our DNA.”
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The message no doubt tugged at the heart-strings of Greek Australians, but Jacqui Preketes of Touchdown Tours told Neos Kosmos that travel between the two countries is not simple despite the fact that both were winners in dealing with the COVID-19 crisis with as few deaths as possible, less than 200 for both countries.
Ms Preketes said that the Qatar Airways flights that brought people to Greece from Australia last week was made up of people returning to Greece on a one-way ticket or those who were given permission to travel to be with family affected by the death of a close relative.
Without permission from the Australian Border Force, a traveller cannot check in and may face a no-show penalty of over US$700, warned Ms Preketes. She added that there were conflicting rules being imposed by airlines and government regulations which were also causing confusion.
In Greece, the message to Australians is straightforward. The country hopes to be at the top of the list once the borders open.
Preparations in Greece
Travel agent Katerina Adosoglou has had great experience with Australian travellers to Athens and says she misses them. “2019 was definitely one of the best years for all working in tourism, after the long period of the economic crisis,” she told Neos Kosmos, adding that the first months of the year saw large groups of Australians touring Greece. “2020 was by far a promising year until the beginning of March.”
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She points to the difficulties she faced as travel agencies made agreements with their staff for suspension of work until the end of the crisis. Greece’s success in handling the COVID-19 crisis has offered Ms Adosoglou optimism. “We hope that by the end of July many airlines will start landing in large airports such as Athens and Thessaloniki and in some of the major Greek islands (Crete, Rhodes, Mykonos and Santorini),” she said.
“The tourists will be welcomed at the airport after clearing customs. No need to have a test prior to arrival nor will they be quarantined after arrival in Greece. Sample tests for visitors are done only if required by authorities. All tourists should wear masks, sanitise and observe social distancing. Transportation will be offered on private fully air-conditioned and sterilised motor coaches. Large buses will only be allowed to carry 20 passengers at once in a 50-seater coach. The bus driver will wear a mask and will welcome guests with antiseptic wipes/gels etc.”
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She lists even more measures from hotel provisions to limits at museums.
“Given the fact that the most visited sites in Greece are in open-aired areas, guiding with a mask on your face in 40-degree temperatures is a real challenge for the guests as well as the guides themselves,” she said.
Olga Dee who offers AirBnb lodgings at the foot of the Acropolis told Neos Kosmos that she has no idea if she will operate this year, and hasn’t noted interest in her rooms.
There is still confusion regarding travel, especially from Australia.
Qatar Airways flights have been operating throughout the crisis until a recent ‘suspension’ through to 15 June, and Emirates and Etihad will also offer flights from 1 July however even that seems sketchy as there aren’t enough people to make these sustainable.
In response to questions by Neos Kosmos, the Emirates media team made the following elusive statement (even though July flights are currently available for sale): “At present, Emirates is not operating passenger services between Australia and Greece. We have recently announced the resumption of flights for passengers to 10 destinations across Europe, based on government approvals, the easing of travel restrictions and commercial demand. We look forward to connecting our Australian passengers to Greece in the future.”