Greece’s tourism minister says these are the 3 requirements for holidaymakers this summer

Greece’s tourism minister says these are the 3 requirements for holidaymakers this summer (Photo: Shutterstock)Greece’s tourism minister says these are the 3 requirements for holidaymakers this summer (Photo: Shutterstock)
Greece’s tourism minister says these are the 3 requirements for holidaymakers this summer (Photo: Shutterstock)

Greece’s tourism minister had revealed that it will not be a requirement for UK holidaymakers to be vaccinated in order to travel into the country.

Speaking on Friday’s (19 Mar) edition of Good Morning Britain, Harry Theoharis, explained the three requirements tourists will need when traveling to Greece once restrictions are eased.

Vaccine passport won’t be essential

Leisure travel is currently banned for people living in the UK, but the rule could be relaxed for those in England from as early as 17 May.

Mr Theoharis said Greece wants to “ensure people can travel with the minimum possible hassle”.

The minister revealed that current proposals mean that any visitor who has received a Covid vaccine will not need to show proof of a negative test. That traveller will instead need to show proof of vaccination.

He also explained that while having a so-called ‘vaccine passport’ would make travelling to Greece easier at the border, they won’t be essential, adding: “It’s not a requirement to be vaccinated in order to travel because not everybody’s able to be vaccinated yet.”

The three conditions

Mr Theoharis explained that Greece will have three conditions for anyone who wants to travel there once restrictions are eased. These are:

  • A negative coronavirus test
  • Recovery from the illness
  • Covid-19 vaccination

Greece, which allowed UK travellers in the summer last year, remains confident that it will be able to keep tourists safe.

Mr Theoharis added: “We have a lot of experience - we opened last year to tourists and now we have many more tools.

“The result of last year was a very positive result that kept everyone safe. So I’m very confident in expressing the fact that everyone will be safe.”

Greece’s current Covid-19 statistics

The average number of new Covid-19 infections reported each day in Greece has risen by more than 740 over the last three weeks, with 2,236 new infections reported on average each day. That’s 84 per cent of the peak, with the highest daily average reported on 18 November 2020.

So far, Greece has administered at least 1,345,734 doses of Covid-19 vaccines.