- Title: Greece welcomes foreign visitors, restarts summer tourism
- Date: 15th June 2020
- Summary: ATHENS, GREECE (JUNE 15, 2020) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF PASSENGERS ARRIVING AT AIRPORT WEARING MASKS VARIOUS OF PASSENGERS GATHERING LUGGAGE AND LEAVING FROM LUGGAGE BELT IN AIRPORT (SOUNDBITE)(English) ROBERT SOPRANO, FROM THE UNITED STATES, WHO CURRENTLY RESIDES IN THE NETHERLANDS AND ARRIVING FROM THE NETHERLANDS, ON HIS WAY TO CRETE, SAYING: "Nice to be the first person out the plane and the first person out the door, so, probably in all of the EU because we were the first flight I think - 5:00 this morning. So yeah its great, it's nice to get the economy going back too." REPORTER ASKING: "Do you think its something you are just going to have to get use to? (SOUNDBITE)(English) ROBERT SOPRANO, FROM THE UNITED STATES, WHO CURRENTLY RESIDES IN THE NETHERLANDS AND ARRIVING FROM THE NETHERLANDS, ON HIS WAY TO CRETE, SAYING: "We are already used to it I think, look at all of us, doing our jobs and doing our thing, so I think we are there." (SOUNDBITE)(English) ROBERT SOPRANO, FROM THE UNITED STATES, WHO CURRENTLY RESIDES IN THE NETHERLANDS AND ARRIVING FROM THE NETHERLANDS, ON HIS WAY TO CRETE, SAYING: "It was pretty jammed in there but not too bad, we started off altogether but then we were able to spread around," TOURIST LESLEY ISHERWOOD FROM BRIGHTON, UK, ARRIVING AT AIRPORT (SOUNDBITE) (English) LESLEY ISHERWOOD FROM BRITAIN, ARRIVING FROM THE NETHERLANDS, SAYING: "You have a note, and it says you have to quarantine for seven days. If you are tested positive you have to quarantine for two weeks, yes, if you are negative you have to quarantine for seven days." REPORTER ASKS: "How do you feel about the fact that you might have to quarantine?" (SOUNDBITE) (English) LESLEY ISHERWOOD FROM BRITAIN, ARRIVING FROM THE NETHERLANDS, SAYING: "I have to, I have to, so I knew that before I came, if you go anywhere really you have to quarantine, in Portugal I had to quarantine for two weeks, so its the way it is now, you want to keep people safe, so you have to do it." VARIOUS OF PASSENGERS ARRIVING AND STANDING IN AIRPORT (SOUNDBITE) (English) US TOURIST CHRIS SAYE, ARRIVING FROM PARIS, FRANCE BUT ORIGINALLY FROM TEXAS, USA, SAYING: "Well it's great, it's like freedom, and its double freedom because first we are here, and second freedom is it seems we don't have to go stay in a hotel, I am waiting for someone to come and tell me - 'here is your bus to take you to the hotel' - but I guess it's not happening." SAYE AND HIS WIFE WALKING THROUGH THE AIRPORT (SOUNDBITE) (English) US TOURIST CHRIS SAYE, ARRIVING FROM PARIS, FRANCE BUT ORIGINALLY FROM TEXAS, USA, SAYING: "No I am not worried, I mean if they call us and say you are positive then obviously it's an issue, but we are not worried about quarantining." PASSENGERS WALKING THROUGH AIRPORT WEARING MASKS PASSENGERS CHECKING IN SOCIAL DISTANCE MARKERS AT CHECK-IN DESK SOCIAL DISTANCE MARKER ON FLOOR AIRPORT EMPLOYEE HANDING OUT MASKS AND ANTISEPTIC GEL
- Embargoed: 29th June 2020 14:29
- Keywords: Greece airport arrivals flights tourism
- Location: ATHENS AND SANTORINI, GREECE
- City: ATHENS AND SANTORINI, GREECE
- Country: Greece
- Topics: Society/Social Issues
- Reuters ID: LVA001CIHEZIF
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: Foreign tourists arrived in Greece on Monday (June 15) as the country opened its two main airports to international flights, with some of the first flights of the day arriving from France and the Netherlands.
Greece is hoping to kick-start its vital tourism sector after three months in lockdown.
Passengers from both flights were tested upon arrival, and required to fill out forms with their personal and contact information, including where they would be residing.
"Nice to be the first person out the plane and the first person out the door, so, probably in all of the EU because we were the first flight I think - 5:00 this morning. So yeah its great, it's nice to get the economy going back too," said Robert Soprano, from the United States, who arrived from Paris where he is currently residing and was headed to Crete. Asked how the flight was he said it was not full so passengers managed to move around.
"It was pretty jammed in there but not too bad, we started off altogether but then we were able to spread around," said Soprano.
As of Monday all passengers arriving from airports deemed high-risk by the European Union's aviation safety agency will be tested for the virus. They will be quarantined for 14 days if the test result is positive. Some will be required to self quarantine for seven days if the result is negative, depending on the origin of their travel. Arrivals from other airports will be randomly tested. Arrivals from airports in Britain and Turkey are still restricted.
Lesley Isherwood from the United Kingdom, who will visit Athens for two weeks before continuing to Cyprus, said she received a form outlining quarantine rules which stated she must self quarantine for seven days if her result is negative and 14 if it is positive. Isherwood, from Brighton, left the United Kingdom in March and travelled to Portugal and the Netherlands before arriving in Greece.
"I have to, I have to, so I knew that before I came, if you go anywhere really you have to quarantine, in Portugal I had to quarantine for two weeks, so its the way it is now, you want to keep people safe, so you have to do it." she said.
US tourist Chris Saye, originally from Texas, who arrived from Paris, is vacationing on Ikaria island for two weeks. He said he planned to travel from Athens to Ikaria in two days, as he had thought he would be forced to stay in a hotel in Athens until the result of his coronavirus test came through, as was practice until now for passengers.
"Well it's great, it's like freedom," he said about being in Greece, adding, "And its double freedom because first we are here, and second freedom is it seems we don't have to go stay in a hotel, I am waiting for someone to come and tell me - 'here is your bus to take you to the hotel' - but I guess it's not happening."
"Greece is ready to and is welcoming even more passengers from even more countries. Some restrictions are being eased, and some checks as well, and this is significant." said airport communications and marketing director Ioanna Papadopoulou.
Tourism employs about 700,000 people and accounts for some 20% of Greece's economic output, so how the sector fares is significant for the country's recovery. Greece emerged from a decade-long debt crisis two years ago. About 33 million tourists visited the Mediterranean nation last year, generating revenues of 19 billion euros.
Speaking from the island of Santorini on Saturday, Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said only a fraction of those visitors were expected this year, but safety was priority.
"I am not interested in making Greece the number one destination in Europe, I am interested in making Greece the safest destination in Europe," said Mitsotakis.
Restrictions on movement imposed in March helped Greece contain the spread of COVID-19 infections to just above 3,000 cases, a relatively low number compared with other EU countries. But it brought the economy to a standstill.
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