People visit the Athens Acropolis Museum during the first day of the opening of the museums on May 14, 2021. – Greece kickstarts its tourism season on May 14, 2021, with both the government and travel operators hoping the lure of sun, sand and sea will bring a sorely needed revenue boost after last year’s miserable holiday season.
“We are raising anchor,” Greek Tourism Minister Harry Theoharis declared as he launched the holiday season Thursday evening from the ancient Greek temple of Poseidon at Cape Sounion, near Athens. “We hope this will be a good season because the winter was difficult for all of us, employers, employees and the tourist sector,” said Alexandros Koukourakis as he set up tables and chairs at his restaurant near the old town of Chania, on the island of Crete.“We hope people will chose us as a country and as an island,” he added. “It is in our hands not to close again.”
Some 40 international incoming flights are expected in 14 regional Greek airports on Friday and another 110 on Saturday. In an early setback, the UK put Greece on its amber travel list, meaning that returning Britons face at least five days in quarantine. Tourism revenue plunged to 4.28 billion euros in 2020 from 18 billion euros in 2019, while tourist arrivals fell 76.5 percent to just 7.4 million, according to the Greek Tourism Confederation Institute.