As Greece reopens to tourists, PM Kyriakos Mitsotakis says the Greek islands will be COVID-free by June, but will it be soon enough to save the country’s tourist industry? Heidi Fuller-Love reports from Crete.
Coronavirus: Greece is officially open but will the tourists come?
As Greece reopens to tourists, PM Kyriakos Mitsotakis says the Greek islands will be COVID-free by June, but will it be soon enough to save the country’s tourist industry? Heidi Fuller-Love reports from Crete.
Greece is hoping to reassure travelers that its beaches are safe and ready for tourists
With only 7.4 million visitors last year compared to 34 million in 2019 Greece is desperate to restart tourism, but on May 14, the first day of the country s official opening to international visitors who have proof of vaccination, proof of recovery or a negative COVID-19 PCR test, here on Crete it s difficult to see the difference.
Tonight is the first time in six months we can leave our homes without sending an SMS
15 May 2021 • 4:00pm
Scenes in Chania, Crete, yesterday evening following a slow start to Greece s reopening in the island s capital, Heraklion, yesterday
Credit: Louisa Gouliamaki/AFP
After six months in lockdown, Greece’s long-awaited tourism reboot in the Cretan capital of Heraklion was a bit of a non-event.
At 11am on May 14, despite temperatures of 27°C in the shade, the museums were empty, many shops were shuttered and only pigeons strutted along streets that had bustled with life pre-Covid.
“It’s not just that there are no tourists, its Greeks, too, who are missing – they have no money,” said Evgenia Chasapidou, manager of Capsis Astoria, one of the few city hotels that stayed open during lockdown. “I think it will not be an easy season for us here in Crete. So far all the bookings are last minute. People all want to be vaccinated before travel – to feel safe.”