Greece Calls for Joint Covid-19 Health Protocols at UNWTO Meeting

Greek Tourism Minister Harry Theoharis (middle)

A unified approach, coordinated actions and common Covid-19 health protocols are vital to enable safe travel in Europe in 2021, said Greek Tourism Minister Harry Theoharis during the World Tourism Organization’s (UNWTO) 112th Executive Council Meeting held in Tbilisi, Georgia this week.

Theoharis said that the UNWTO should lead the way in this effort ensuring that all member states implement common action plans and precautions to curb the spread of the coronavirus while facilitating travel.

“Greece will support the effort to create joint protocols, participating in the committee for the development of an International Code for the Protection of Tourists,” said Theoharis.

UNWTO Secretary-General Ζurab Pololikashvili hailed Greece’s contribution to the management of the Covid-19 crisis and for its recommendations on the recovery of the tourism sector.

Moreover, Theoharis expressed Greece’s intention to seek a second term on the UNWTO Executive Council. In this direction, he held meetings with counterparts and UNWTO officials.

“It is important that international organizations, such as the UNWTO and tourism stakeholders, such as CLIA, recognize the important contribution of our country towards the opening of tourism on an international level,” said Theoharis.

“Greece was and will continue to feature on the world tourist map and for this we will work intensively and systematically, looking to 2021 and with the hope that soon we will have good news from the field of medicine.”

Theoharis was also scheduled to meet his counterparts from Morocco, Saudi Arabia and Egypt.

The UNWTO meeting will conclude on Thursday, with the Tbilisi Declaration which lays out the framework for tourism industry development and response to Covid-19 challenges.

Consisting of 33 Member States, the Executive Council is the UNWTO’s governing board and is responsible for ensuring that the ‎organization carries out its work and adheres to its budget.

Greece is currently serving a four-year term (2018 – 2021) on the UNWTO Executive Council.