Tourism ministers of Greece and Serbia signed a memorandum of cooperation regarding a vaccination certificate during the tourism season from May 1 to October 1. Greek Tourism Minister Harry Theoharis and his Serbian counterpart Tatjana Matic signed a memorandum of cooperation, addressing entry requirements for both countries’ citizens.
Serbian citizens visiting Greece must carry a coronavirus vaccination certificate issued by state health authorities, the two ministers agreed during an online conference on Tuesday.
Greeks traveling to Serbia during the same period will also have to carry a vaccination certificate.
If not vaccinated, the travelers will have to present a recent and negative molecular test (PCR) or an antibodies test, state-run news agency amna reported.
Last summer, thousands of holidaymakers from Serbia were stranded at the borders when Greece closed its borders due to increase of infections in Serbia.
PS It is not clear whether this agreement is also indicative for Greece’s plans to proceed with mutual agreements with non-EU member states after EU leaders rejected last week the proposal by Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis for a “vaccination certificate” for a “fast travel lane.”
This will not help tourism at all and only gives the opportunity to the elite!
There is a short of vaccins so the programs in Europe will all be delayed.
Families with children are last on the list and probably able to receive the jab after summer holidays. With a mandatory PCR test (they cost over 100,- Euro a person in most countries), Greece will not be a very attractive destination. Sure not if you also need a PCR test to return.
If Greece/Europe wants tourism during summer period, they should open the borders with a mandatory quick-test up on arrival.
Don’t worry: this is all political garbage anyway. First, the vaccines are not proven to prevent infection transmission, even after two doses. Second, many governments are playing games by delaying the second dose, when the legal certification of the vaccines is for two doses with a specific time interval in between. Third, the rapid tests are about 50-60% accurate, so you may as well toss a coin to decide if someone has Covid-19.
There is no safe possibility of mass tourism this summer. If the idiots in the Greek government think that they can do this again, the result will be the same — increased infection rates across Greece. They have tried blaming the Greek people for the second wave, but it is mostly the stupidity of the government.
On the other hand, if they don’t think that Covid-19 is so dangerous, then they should say it openly. Saying one thing and doing the opposite is only going to encourage crazy conspiracy theorists — who are actually not wrong in their sense that they are being lied to, but totally wrong about what is actually happening.