Greece considers opening borders to Brits with Covid vaccine passport ‘as early as May’

‘A vaccine certificate would allow you to enter Greece without providing a negative test... we do intend to go down that path’
White washed villas adorn the cliffs of the village of Oia, on the northwestern tip of the Greek island of Santorini
AFP via Getty Images
April Roach @aprilroach2824 February 2021

Greece is considering opening its borders to British tourists who have received a coronavirus vaccine as early as May, it has been reported.

British travellers who can prove that they have had a Covid-19 vaccine may be allowed into Greece early this summer, reports the Times.

The Greek government is also said to be discussing the logistics of vaccinating airport workers and hotel employees at resorts.

The EU wants countries to follow a united approach when opening up to travellers from outside the bloc, but senior tourism ministry officials did not rule out that Greece could break ranks.

Last week, Greek prime minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said: "A vaccine certificate would allow you to enter Greece without being forced to provide a negative test and without any quarantine restrictions and we do intend to go down that path.

“For those who have not been vaccinated the most likely scenario is that we will request some sort of negative test, we want to make it as easy as possible for them to travel to Greece.”

Boris Johnson has acknowledged there could be some ethical issues around vaccine certificates.

He told a Downing Street conference that there are “clearly some quite complex issues, some ethical issues, issues about discrimination and so on”.

But on Tuesday Mr Johnson told Sky News: "When you look at the international side of things, the international travel, there's no questions that's where a lot of countries will be going.

A waiter prepares tables in a roof cafe of an hotel central Athens in June last year
AFP via Getty Images

"And they will be insisting on vaccine passports in the same way that people used to insist on evidence that you've been inoculated against yellow fever.

"So it's going to come on the international stage whatever."

It comes as airlines and travel firms experienced a surge in demand after Mr Johnson revealed his lockdown roadmap.

The Prime Minister said on Monday that a Government taskforce will produce a report by April 12 recommending how international trips can resume for people in England.

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The most popular destinations for this summer are beach resorts including Malaga, Alicante and Palma in Spain, Faro in Portugal and the Greek island of Crete.

Tui, the UK’s largest tour operator, recorded a six-fold increase in bookings, making Monday its busiest day in more than a month.

The hotspots of Greece, Spain and Turkey from July onwards are the most in-demand locations.

Managing director Andrew Flintham said the Government can work with the travel industry to develop a “risk-based framework” that will give holidaymakers “the opportunity to travel abroad this summer”.

He added that there is “huge demand to travel” and “people can look forward to a well-deserved break away after what has been a very difficult year for many”.

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