Middle East

Israel to allow Greek tourists from August 1

israel tourism

Israel has said that travellers coming in from Greece will not have to partake in the 14-day Covid-19 quarantine. Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu  met with Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakisis to discuss reopening tourism between the two countries, setting August 1 as the date to open the borders. 

“We are thrilled that we have been able to set a date for resuming international tourism, beginning with Greece,” said Asaf Zamir, Isreal’s Minister of Tourism. “This is an important development for the citizens of our two countries and a critical step in restoring the travel industry around the globe, helping to position us all for economic recovery following the pandemic.”

“Resuming flights between Israeli and Greek travellers is the first step in reopening the country for visitors across the globe,” said Eyal Carlin, Israel Tourism Commissioner for North America. “We look forward to expanding international travel between Israel and North America in a safe, organized manner.”

“As we’re already seeing flights resume this month from North America, and with new health and hygiene procedures in place, the tourism industry in Israel is working diligently to ensure that travellers feel safe when choosing Israel as their next destination,” he said.

Israel began reopening the country to domestic tourism with a phased approach on May 4, 2020. Through the last several months, the Tourism Recovery Task Force has been working alongside Ministry officials to put together a plan for safely reopening the country by implementing the appropriate health and safety measures to keep travellers safe, including the Purple Standard for hotels and additional protocols for businesses and attractions.