Greece Moves Reopening Date to June 15, but You Still Can't Fly There Yet

As coronavirus lockdowns begin to lift in Europe, Greece has its sights set on the summer for reopening.

The country, which originally said it would reopen to tourists on July 1, with certain health and safety precautions, has moved their reopening date up to June 15, Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis announced, according to CNN. However, most flights to Greece would resume on July 1 regardless.

When visitors do make their way to the beloved destination, it won't be a typical tourist season. While visitors will be able to sightsee and soak up the Grecian sun, they likely won’t be able to partake in the nightlife activities that make up much of the country’s tourism revenue.

"The tourism experience this summer may be slightly different from what you've had in previous years," Greece’s Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis told the network previously. "Maybe no bars may be open, or no tight crowds, but you can still get a fantastic experience in Greece — provided that the global epidemic is on a downward path."

As the reopening date approaches, beaches have reopened and the Acropolis in Athens has started to welcome visitors again.

Travelers will not need to take a coronavirus test of quarantine upon arrival however the government will conduct individual screenings on a case by case basis.

Children are expected to return to school on May 11 and shops and restaurants are on schedule to reopen May 25. Hotels in cities are expected to open in early June, as well.

Greece has been able to contain the spread of coronavirus to 2,850 people, according to Johns Hopkins University. Only 166 coronavirus-related deaths have been reported since the outbreak in Greece.

If everything goes as planned, Greece is imagining smaller tourism activities, particularly focusing on luxury customers who would stay in boutique hotels and partake in intimate excursions like agrotourism or yachting trips.

Other European countries are slowly phasing back to normal after weeks of lockdown. This week, both Italy and Spain began lifting restrictions that had been imposed during the heights of their COVID-19 breakouts.