UK Tourists Face Greek Holiday Changes as Spain Also Offers Words of Virus Caution

UK tourists may have to change their Greek holiday plans from July onwards, as Spain also has offered some words of caution.

Holidaymakers looking forward to jetting around Europe later this summer may have to just hold back to check out what countries are saying over coronavirus infection figures back home.

The Greeks have been very keen to get their valuable tourism industry going again, with the British market, especially for their islands like Corfu, Crete, and Rhodes, being seen as essential to the locals.

But the high UK virus figures are worrying the Greek government, and the amiable holiday hosts don’t want a flare up of Covid-19 after taking some of the severest measures in Europe to stop it spreading.

The Greeks have just published an approved list of 19 countries where they are satisfied about the low rates of the virus, and therefore would allow visitors in from that territory.

The UK, Spain, and Italy don’t make it onto that list at the moment, which does include European countries like Norway, Serbia and Poland.

There is plenty of time still for that to change ahead of July, but the current position may well calm down the rush to book flights and holidays from British customers.

In Spain, there is little note of caution as well as Emergencies chief, Fernando Simón, said yesterday (May 26) that the government would take into account of virus rates as well from tourists from their country of origin before allowing them into Spain.

The good news is that infection rates are falling in the UK, and tourist-dependent countries like Greece and Spain will be likely to welcome them back in a few weeks time, so long as there is no reverse trend in British coronavirus figures.

There’s also been a report that London and Madrid have been having talks about creating an ‘air travel bubble’ between the two countries, which would put added pressure on Greek tourism.