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How Tourism will open – The certificate, the tests and the vaccination of the first line staff
The free covid islands show the way for the opening of tourism with Greece appearing first in the preferences of foreign stakeholders and reservations, as claimed by travel agents, show a significant increase in the last week. The plan for achieving the goal and the role of the “green” certificate, the tests and the vaccination of so-called front line personnel.
The representatives of the sectors dealing with tourism appear optimistic, talking about a dynamic year that can reach 40 to 50% of the revenues of 2019. A year where Greek Tourism moved to particularly high levels, a course that stopped in 2020 the coronavirus.
The vaccine and the growing acceptance of the vaccination certificate that the Greek Prime Minister proposed to the Commission in conjunction with the readiness that exists in terms of tests, which will be submitted to those who have not issued the said certificate or have not still vaccinated allow the optimism for this year’s tourist season (which significantly starts later, ie from the end of May in fact) to become a reality.
The government has taken care to send the right messages and the free covid islands are becoming a kind of communication flagship in the global tourism market. The first of these islands, Kastelorizo, has already been the subject of articles in the international press, while the fact that there are islands where the inhabitants (who of course wanted it since it is not mandatory) have been vaccinated with both doses become the best advertisement for the country. .
The Tourism Plan and Vaccinations
The government has drawn up a plan that now seems to be unfolding. The key factor is the adequacy of the vaccines in order for the Freedom program to proceed normally, through which the vaccinations have exceeded 1,000,000 and are still moving at a high speed.
The news of the free covid islands did not come as a surprise to any of the stakeholders and persons running the specific program which, both in terms of market and tourism, shows that Eleftheria (Freedom) is the name that suits.
The islands were in the plan from the first moment. It was January 21st when the specific part of the plan that unfolds in four phases was made public. One of them concerns the islands with less than 1,000 inhabitants where many of them have already moved to the free covid zone.
In fact, at the beginning of February, when Kyriakos Mitsotakis had toured in Thymaina, Fourni, Ikaria, the vaccination was progressing and he himself clearly stated that “It is of great importance for us to open our tourism” to add that “we are at the forefront of logic to facilitate with this so-called health passport those who are vaccinated to travel. That is, to be able to travel more easily. ”
In the same statement he had described the next steps, saying that “But as much as we can ensure that the islands are safe, the staff of the first line but also in the second phase those who will serve them, ie those who work in our hotels, in restaurants , in our tourism industry, the more visitors we will have “.
The following day after tourism opens
The “flagship of the Greek economy, in context of opening tourism, what will be implemented and will lead to the opening of tourism is:
– The vaccination certificate with the adoption of a common legal document at EU level
– Tests for visitors to the country
– Vaccinations of frontline staff and tourism workers.
As far as the vaccination certificate is concerned, the proposal of Kyriakos Mitsotakis gained ground with the EU announcing the adoption of a joint document, something that will proceed on March 17.
From the Greek side there was determination to enter into bilateral agreements. After all, the talks with Israel and Great Britain are already continuing in the context of the tourist facility, which from both countries shows special interest in the country.
Along with the certificate, special weight is given to the subject of the tests. The 72-hour molecular test that will precede for all those who wish to arrive in a safe Greece but have not been vaccinated or have not been issued a vaccination certificate will assist in their service.
Apart from these, the rapid tests at the entrance gates of the country will be a key parameter of the design that has been prepared.
Frontline staff and employees in Tourism
The third point is just as important. Vaccination of workers will further highlight Greece as a safe country. furthermore, the government is moving towards this possibility. In this context, the vaccination of staff involved in tourism will be attempted in the second quarter of this year, which of course depends on the availability of vaccines.
On Friday, March 5th, liberal.gr published the research of Professor D. Sarigiannis who, applying specific data to his model, concluded that vaccinating first-line staff will not only be a kind of “attractive product” for tourists but will lead to and a drastic reduction in projected cases by June. At the same time it will contribute to the decompression of the health system.
The government seems to be aiming at this parameter. However, the implementation time, in addition to the availability of vaccines, will depend on the vaccination of vulnerable groups that will be done in two phases. This process has been set as a priority and should not escape the memory that Kyriakos Mitsotakis has set public health and safety of citizens as the main goal of the Freedom program.
However, given that new vaccines are coming in the near future, after the relevant approvals of the European Medicines Agency, the quantities are expected to increase as well as the speed of vaccination. It already exceeds 35,000 per day, a number that is expected to increase further in the near future.
At this point it should be mentioned that Greece tends to become a model country for its vaccination program and the references in the international press are also constant.
Another positive note is that vaccination on the islands and especially for a 1,000 people was not just a simple operation. From the transfer to the preservation of the vaccine, all the authorities were involved, while the role of the Ministry of National Defense was important, if not essential.
In any case, Greece is entering the tourist season with a plan that could lead to a season that will not be reminiscent of previous years, of course, but will have nothing to do with what it experienced in 2020.
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