Tourism Minister promises more road entry points for tourists

Greece’s authorities are working to ensure that more road entry points will opened to meet the needs of incoming tourists crossing the border from the north, Tourism Minister Haris Theocharis has told parliament.

“In cooperation with the chief of police, efforts are being made so that from 1 July there will be three lanes – two entrances and one exit – in Promachonas,” Theocharis said, referring to the country’s major border crossing with neighboring Bulgaria. 

Moreover, his ministry is working with the Ministry of Civil Protection and the Civil Protection Authority to other entry points so as to distribute incoming traffic and improve the transit conditions of tourists.

Theocharis said that thanks to the measures taken by the government and his ministry, tourist arrivals on the roads were increasing at a faster pace than those by air.

“Just last Saturday, when we recorded the largest flows, we saw an increase of 23 percent. More than 20,000 people entered our country by road from our northern borders. This shows that, on the one hand, the control systems are working and, on the other, that necessary improvements are being implemented swiftly.”

He added that the authorities are monitoring the increase in the Delta variant and are intensifying health surveillance where necessary. 

“And by intensifying the health surveillance, we are doing the right thing for the health of Greek citizens and the right thing ultimately for tourism itself,” he told MPs. 

“Because opening up tourism is not an easy process. It is a complex, dynamic process, where we have to be constantly on top and change decisions depending on the new data that emerges.”

[AMNA]