German tourists will be able to take a direct flight to the Greek islands as of July 1, Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said on Tuesday, adding that Athens will be welcoming international flights as of June 15. He siad that restrictions to the land borders will be lifted on June 15, the latest.
Speaking to German newspaper Bild, Mitsotakis also discussed Greece’s success in keeping the coronavirus epidemic at manageable levels, adding that the country plans to open its tourism market to countries which, like Germany, are on similar points on the epidemic curve.
“We are a positive example and this creates among the people a feeling of safety and trust in the state’s efficiency,” Mitsotakis told the newspaper.
Watch what happened at 1:10 in @BILD‘s broadcast: 🔴 Was wird aus unserem #Urlaub? Exklusiv-#Interview mit dem griechischen Premierminister @kmitsotakis #BILDLive #Griechenlandhttps://t.co/9ZcZqxXk2B
— Liana Spyropoulou (@LSpyropoulou) May 26, 2020
During his visit to Thessaloniki, in northern Greece, on Tuesday, Mitsotakis told regional authorities that coronavirus restrictions on the country’s land borders would be lifted entirely within the next few weeks, facilitating the arrival of tourists by road.
The country’s land borders would be lifted by June 15 at the latest, he added.
The region of Macedonia receives some 10 million tourists a year by road, Macedonia Regional Governor Apostolos Tzitzikostas told the prime minister, stressing the area’s dependence on foreign travelers.
Mitsotakis vowed that the government will strive to salvage what remains of the tourism season.
Greece’s Tourism Minister announced mid-May, that tourists from some 20 countries with good epidemiological data will be the first allowed in the country as of June 15.
