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Greece, Cyprus and Israel look towards establishing tourism safe zone

Greece, Cyprus and Israel look towards establishing tourism safe zone

The proposal was first made by the Greek government in a bid to restart the countries’ tourism

Countries across Europe are looking at different ways of returning back to normal life – and for some, said normal is intrinsically tied to tourism, especially with the onset of summer. The tourist industry is among the most important ones in the entirety of Greece, so it should come as no surprise to find out that it’s been the Greek government that’s been coming up with different solutions aimed at adapting tourism-related businesses to a post-corona world.

Intergovernmental initiative

One of the latest ideas pitched by Greek authorities, coming after an announcement that the summer season in the country will open at the start of July, is for the establishment of a tourism “safe” zone between Greece, Cyprus and Israel.

The logic behind the cooperation between these three countries is simple – on the one hand, people will be less willing to travel long distances and will always prefer something close by, and on the other, health conditions in resorts will be of paramount importance for tourists on the lookout for the destinations of their next trips.

That is why Greek, Cypriot and Israeli authorities are discussing a common zone that will follow common hygiene and healthcare standards and that will be able to guarantee visitors the safety that they are looking for when travelling.

Some of the main issues that the idea is faced with are the fact that countries require foreign arrivals to be subjected to two-week-long quarantines (something that the Greek idea for a “health passport” might solve) and that both Greece and Cyprus are part of the EU and the Schengen Area, while Israel is not.

Despite such difficulties, it remains important for countries in Europe to remain creative and to always be proactive in searching for solutions when it comes to dealing with the fallout of devastating crises such as the one caused by COVID-19.

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