Government sees tourism traffic at 50% of 2019 levels this year
Greece expects tourist arrivals this year to reach half the levels seen in 2019, a government spokeswoman said on Friday, after the coronavirus pandemic led to the country’s worst tourism season in decades in 2020.
Greece, which relies on tourism for a fifth of its economy, saw just 7 million tourists and 4 billion euros in revenues in 2020, down from a record 33 million visitors and 18 billion euros in revenues in 2019.
On May 14, authorities lifted quarantine rules for non-EU visitors who have been vaccinated or test negative for Covid-19.
“We can expect traffic at 50% of 2019 levels,” Greek government spokeswoman Aristotelia Peloni told Greek website newsbomb.gr.
Peloni said early signs on arrivals have been very positive, although not indicative since there were still curbs on movement in Europe to be lifted.
Greece has been one of the early advocates of a Covid-19 certificate in the European Union that would ease travel restrictions and allow it to rescue its key summer season.
The EU reached a deal on Thursday on certificates designed to open up tourism across the 27-nation bloc as a rapid pick-up of vaccinations allows widespread easing of restrictions.
[Reuters]
