Greece Will Welcome Tourists Back, But Not Americans

Visitors from 29 permitted countries will be able to enter Greece via direct flights to Athens and to Thessaloniki, a city in the north starting June 15, the Greek Tourism Ministry said Friday.

Americans will not be allowed back in just yet, as Greece will continue to block travelers from countries with high Covid-19 infection rates.

Countries like the U.K., Brazil and Sweden have also not received the go-ahead for their residents to have a Greek vacation until at least July, when the tourism ministry said they hoped to expand their list of approved countries to include more. 

For those allowed to enter, Greece will implement measures to keep visitors and Greeks safe, like capacity limits and designated doctors for hotels, while visitors will be subject to random Covid-19 testing, according to Reuters.

Greek officials are eager to attract travelers in time for the peak of the summer holiday season, as tourism makes up about a fifth of the Greek economy.

Roughly 33 million visitors brought in about $21 billion to Greece in 2019.