Tourism Minister: Greece will be added to "green list"’ UK

According to Minister of Tourism Haris Theocharis, Greece will soon be added to the list of “green” destinations in the United Kingdom, travelers will not have to isolate themselves upon returning home.

Speaking on British Sky News on Tuesday, the minister, who is still on an official visit to the UK, added that there are quarantine hotels in Greece, that people will be tested frequently and that, in addition to vaccinations, there are pre-travel conditions. The Minister, while in the UK, focused on the efforts made by the Greek side to get off the orange list and enter the green list in the “traffic light system” used by the UK. At this point, he indicated that he was in London to speak with government officials “to make sure that both sides understand how our systems work, and that the British remain safe in our country, and of course that they understand the criteria and conditions. necessary for making informed decisions ”.

In his interview, Mr. Theocharis emphasized: “We will try to explain everything, and I am absolutely sure that since we have passed the highest point, we are on a downward trend towards the third wave, like the rest of Europe, and that there will be no problems with the next edition “traffic light system” of the United Kingdom “.

The following is an interview with Mr. Theocharis Sky News:

– Trust, Mr. Minister, must be very important for a trip to Greece. What measures do you take to make people feel safe if they want to travel to your country?

Harris Theocharis: “You are absolutely right. Tourism is an international activity based on trust, therefore it is very important to work together at the European level or even beyond. We are very pleased that this cooperation is inevitable. Greece topped the proposal, but also the actual implementation of the system. We are the first country to implement Digital Passenger Tracking (PLF) and AI Machine Learning at the border last year. We were awarded the Global Award of Excellence (Global Award of Excellence) for the type of systems we implemented last year and now we are using even more tools at our disposal.

The vaccination program is progressing rapidly and we are working very well with Estonia. Estonia and its president reacted immediately. They participated in our proposals and implemented a digital platform for cooperation between European countries. This is all very important. We have quarantine hotels, of course, people will be checked often, there are vaccinations and pre-trip conditions. All this means that we have a comprehensive, thoughtful and professional plan to ensure the safety of our citizens and, of course, everyone who comes to Greece. For us it is very important. This is a recipe, if you will, for our success in the fight against the pandemic. “

– With regard to the “traffic light system” implemented by the UK, Greece is currently on the “orange list”. Do you think this will prevent some people from visiting Greece? Do you think the government here will want to revise the green list to include Greece?

Harris Theocharis: “It has been announced that there will be frequent checks, at least every three weeks, and I am here in London to speak with government officials to make sure both sides understand how our systems work and that the British remain safe in the country. And, of course, they understand the criteria and have all the necessary data to make informed decisions.

At the same time, we would welcome a regional approach, because already, I am sure, by any criterion, all Greek islands should have been included in the green list in the traffic light system.

So, as I said, we will try to explain everything, and I am absolutely sure that when we have already passed the highest point of the third wave and are on a downtrend, like the rest of Europe, there will be no problems with the next review of the United Traffic Light system. Kingdom “.

All interviews given by Minister of Tourism Haris Theocharis Sky News.

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