Dhaka: The popular tourism hub Greece is going to welcome vaccinated travellers from this summer, announced the country’s tourism minister Harry Theocharis.

Tourism is a major income earner for Greece, which has led calls for an EU-wide vaccination certificate to help unlock travel. The industry accounts for about a fifth of the Greek economy and employs one in five workers, but arrivals collapsed last year because of the coronavirus pandemic. tourism in bangladesh

Greece is gearing up to kick-start its vital summer season by mid-May, mentioned Theocharis, as he addressed the ITB Berlin trade show from the Athens Acropolis Museum.

“Greece is ready with a complete protocol for summer 2021,” he said, adding, “Tourists will be welcomed if before travel they are either vaccinated, or have antibodies, or test negative. All tourists will be subject to random testing.”

He said the authorities would prioritise the vaccination of people working in the hospitality sector once the most vulnerable were vaccinated and were mandating the frequent testing of employees.

Greece has imposed a lockdown in several parts of the country to curb the spread of the coronavirus pandemic after a surge in new infections pressured its health system. Yet, the country is doing far better than most of Europe with almost 7,000 deaths since the pandemic began. tourism in bangladesh