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Greece Ready to Welcome Travelers Earlier This Year

Greece will be open and ready to welcome travelers earlier than ever this year, expecting the first visitors in March, said Tourism Minister Vassilis Kikilias.

In an interview to Action24, Kikilias said Greece was working hard to extend the tourism season in 2022 beyond the traditional summer months through to December.

“I have asked everyone, regional and municipal authorities, hoteliers, businessmen, traders to be ready by March because people will come to Greece early this year and will leave late,” he said, adding that extending the tourist season was a “big bet”.

“Investments being made and accommodation facility upgrades will attract better quality travelers all seasons of the year,” he said.

Kikilias referred to ongoing ministry efforts and actions to keep tourists coming throughout the year, including plans to welcome the French during their eight-week school break and Israeli travelers in September.

He said the ministry’s plan also focused on developing spa, wellness and medical tourism, which has driven tourism revenues for many countries in Northern Europe.

Tourism Minister Vassilis Kikilias

Kikilias went on to add that Greece was also strengthening ties with Arab countries in efforts to attract higher-spending travelers as well as with rival Turkey, where demand for Greek destinations is high. In this direction, Greece will allow day trips by boat from Turkey to Mytilene, Chios, Samos, Kos, and Rhodes, he said. 

Lastly, Kikilias expressed his confidence that 2022 would be a good year. “Already from the first days of 2022, bookings have gone up sharply for hotels,” he said, adding that demand for airline slots was also on the rise.

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  1. Sam Reply

    Can you please clarify the entry requirements for unvaccinated travellers, coming from the UK? It would seem we need to be fully vaccinated to enter and Greece no longer accepts a negative PCR test for entry purposes? I received an email notification today from the gov.uk website & this is my understanding of the entry requirements.

    “Travelers from the United Kingdom, Member States of the European Union (EU) and the Schengen Agreement, as well as from the other non-EU countries that have joined the European Union Digital Covid Certificate can enter the country by:

    a) showing a certificate of recovery from COVID-19.

    Travellers from all other countries can enter Greece by:

    b) showing proof of a negative COVID-19 PCR test, undertaken within the 72 hour period before arrival into Greece;

    Or;

    c) showing proof of a negative COVID-19 rapid antigen test from an authorised laboratory, undertaken within the 24 hour period before your arrival into Greece”

  2. John Zoumboulis Reply

    Barbara Kimball. No science is behind mask wearing period, not one study gives credence to that. Anyone wearing a mask willingly is incredibly ignorant to the science of mask wearing. Do some research of your own and don’t willingly go along with the so called “experts”.

    • Carolyn Heard Reply

      How can a non-scientist perform reliable “research,” I wonder, without background knowledge, laboratories, equipment, test groups, etc.?

  3. Jane B. Jensen Reply

    Finally.. nany have been waiting for winterturism in your beautiful country .. you should do it all year around! Regards a Big fan of Greece

  4. David Reply

    Time to stop virtue signalling wearing a mask. It’s not clever and you look like a lunatic. What sane person would go around dressed like a caped crusader? Greece you need to end all restrictions and stop being bullied by the jealous northern EU countries that nobody wants to go to. This is the year to boost your economy.

    • Barbara Kimball Reply

      All sane people would still mask, social distance and follow medical experts’ guidance on stopping the spread, that’s who. Anti-maskers, anti-vaxxers, conspiracy-believers and disinformation spreaders are hampering efforts at reducing the pandemic to endemic.

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