The UK and Greece are in discussions about summer holidays for this year.
With lockdown measures looking likely to begin easing in March, our attention is turning decidedly towards the future once more – and with it comes decisions about a much-needed holiday. Though travel plans have been dramatically affected by lockdown, we’re still clinging to hopes of a sunny escape before the year’s end. On that point, Greek Tourism Minister Harry Theoharis revealed to BBC Radio 4 this morning that preliminary discussions are taking place between the UK and Greece to try and allow “semi-normal” holidays to the Mediterranean this summer.
Theoharis revealed that so-called “vaccine passports” are being looked at as one possible option – UK Transport Secretary Grant Shapps has already confirmed that these are being developed – and expressed hope that vaccines would pave the way forward for a summer break. On a similar point, Theoharis believes that UK residents who’ve been vaccinated would not need to take a Covid test before heading out to Greece, pointing to the huge strides the nation has made in vaccinating the population.
It’s very exciting stuff, but Theoharis was quick to stress that the discussions were at a very early stage, so maybe best not to get our hopes up too far. Still, with the Greek tourism industry being particularly lucrative, and Brits often choosing Greece as a summer holiday, one expects there to be plenty of will on both sides to work out an arrangement. Because really, floating lazily in the Aegean Sea is exactly what I need right now…