Greece Is The Word
Greece is getting ready to welcome international tourists later this Spring
With summer looming, millions of the Americans being vaccinated everyday are wondering, where can we go now? The options are still extremely limited. Earlier this month, Greece’s Tourism Minister announced that the country is expecting to be open for tourists in mid May. American Airlines and Emirates also announced resuming their nonstop flights from New York starting in early June. For entry, you will need to provide either a negative Covid test or proof of vaccination. This news made me feel incredibly excited about the rebound of the travel industry and I immediately jumped on a call with my partners in Athens at the tour company Eclectic Greece.
Eclectic Greece crafts individual, tailor made, luxury itineraries for couples, families, and groups. They leverage their immense local network to work with the best tour guides, and contract rates for the top hotels, villas, and yacht charters. Trips are enriched by their local knowledge to include authentically Greek experiences. Below is an edited version of my conversation with their Sales Director, Eva Saringala.
What can we expect upon arriving in Athens?
In addition to showing a negative covid test or your vaccination certificate, they will be conducting random tests at the airport. Obviously, with hundreds of people coming in on each flight, they can’t go through and test everybody, but there is chance you might be stopped.
What is the current feeling on the situation like in Greece? I saw the news this week showing a protest in Athens.
After people over 60 years old, tourism workers are the next to receive priority to vaccines, which will improve the mood. There is a feeling of fatigue for the lockdown, of course. Right now, we cannot move freely between different areas. If you live on one side of Athens, you can’t easily get to the other. The fatigue has provided an opportunity for an extremist group to make a demonstration. They have a long history of causing disruption and they took advantage of the moment.
What are the masks and social distancing rules?
You have to wear a mask everywhere. Obviously, if you’re on the beach or in the pool, you don’t have to. Last summer, you might have stood out wearing a mask, but now people are more used to wearing it. If you’re a group of ten, you will need to be split up. Transfers can only have 3-4 passengers, even if you’re part of the same group. The hotels are not operating at full occupancy. The restaurants have limits on how many people can sit per table and they are spacing out the tables so that distance can be kept. Museums and cultural sites are limiting capacity, even open spaces have restrictions.
Are you seeing any trends that are different from previous summers?
We aren’t seeing too many differences. Mykonos and Santorini are still the most popular destinations. There have been some longer stays of 12-15 nights and people will request larger rooms and are sometimes looking to have private pools. We are seeing popularity with our villa selection which has 200 villas in 19 destinations.
Are there islands that work better for travelers who still want to socially distance?
Crete is a large island and is more spread out so you aren’t walking on a main street with flocks of people. Naxos is also very spread out.
In Santorini, if you want to watch the sunsets, a popular activity is to go out in a catamaran. Now, if you want more privacy, you should rent the whole catamaran for yourself. On land, the sunset viewing will still be quite crowded.
In Mykonos, I’d recommend doing your touring in the mornings. In the evenings, going through the small streets wasn’t something I enjoyed. You should avoid the clubbing and stay at your hotel for drinks on your terrace. The bars are very small and get packed. Anyone with common sense wouldn’t go clubbing. You can also enjoy hiking which is very remote.
What are some experiences people can do if they want to avoid crowds?
Cooking classes are a popular activity and a great way to meet locals and understand Greek way of life. Now, we can do the cooking classes outside instead of in the kitchen. Walking tours and food tours are mainly done outside. Something we were already doing was taking people by boat to a deserted island for a grilled lunch on the beach. There is no one else there.
Are you including the Covid testing Americans need to return home?
They are not included, but cost approximately $90/person. We work with clinics and nurses to have the tests done at your hotel so you don’t need to go anywhere and the results are typically back in less than 24 hours.
If people are repeat visitors to Greece, what do you recommend?
If you’ve already seen the nightlife, and the beaches, and the Santorini sunsets, I think you should find something more authentic. In the Northern part of Greece, where Alexander the Great was born, you can find more history and culture. You can visit Corfu which is not promoted as much as other places. I want them to experience the Greek lifestyle and visit our local festivals.
What about pricing, is it any higher or lower than in the past?
The availability is there. Unlike last summer, every hotel is reopening this year. Santorini is keeping rates high to try and make up for what was lost. They’re not willing to drop the price and the 5 star hotels will be 600-800 Euro per night. Mykonos is more sensible with their rates. The smaller islands have great options starting at 200-250 Euro per night. The tours and land arrangements haven’t changed their pricing.
What are your current cancellation policies?
We are taking a 30% deposit and cancellation is now 22 days prior (before it was 30 days). We’re offering flexibility on the deposit date; you can do it on your own time. The prices may increase slightly, but there is no pressure to put down money. If you need a refund, we are able to process that in 35 days where last year it was taking months.