Covid-19 protocol Greek tourist sector
Nine rules for Greek tourist industry as reported by Greek City Times do not make a lot of sense and do not go far enough.
Maybe lost in translation, journalist lacks good grasp of English.
Not only will the proposed protocol not protect visitors, it will put Greeks at risk.
flights
Flights full. That will guarantee few will wish to fly.
In UK, there is no great desire for lockdown to lift, social distancing will remain for foreseeable future. Few will wish to pass through a busy airport, travel on a crowded plane.
Need certificate before can fly. From where would obtain and WHO has already warned worthless and no guarantee covid-19 free?
What would they test for to issue certificates? Tests for antibodies have shown to be flawed.
Arrivals and departures should be screened. Anyone with high temperature isolated and quarantined for 14 days.
All aircraft after passengers disembark should be deep cleaned before passengers board. Not as we currently see, fast turn around, a quick tidy of the plane by cabin crew.
Only arrivals from countries free of covid-19 for a month. By acting early, Greece has contained covid-19 and kept the number of deaths low. That should not be thrown away in the rush to open up the tourist sector.
Restrictions on entry into Greece must also apply to ports and land borders.
cruise ships
A glaring omission, no mention of cruise ships.
Cruise ships are floating environmental disasters, floating all-inclusive hotels that bring no benefit to local economies, floating disease incubators.
Cruise ships should be barred from entering Greek waters unless an emergency, not able to dock in the islands or Athens.
accommodation
Nothing on social distancing, spacing tables for dining, spacing sunbeds, no gym sauna Jacuzzi massage, occupancy less than 50%.
No buffet service. Every hotel menu only, table service, even breakfast?
Minimum protocol for all accommodation: Maximum of 50% occupancy, temperature screening every time anyone enters a hotel, strict social distancing within hotel and grounds, tables for dining spaced well apart, sunbeds spaced well apart, sunbeds cleaned every evening, no gym massage sauna Jacuzzi, moot point if pool in use, if in use strict enforcement of numbers, of shower before and after the pool.
Guests encouraged to open balcony doors at night to cool rooms, not rely on air conditioning.
Hoteliers and proprietors required to sign up to protocol before they can open.
Strict enforcement of protocol. Any hotel found to be in breach, closed for the season.
mass tourism
Where are the visitors to come from?
China? Russia? EU borders closed.
UK? Highest death toll in Europe. Daily death toll several hundred a day, worst in Europe. Lockdown and social distancing for foreseeable future.
Foreign Office advice: no overseas travel indefinite. Expired passports not being renewed. Nigh impossible to obtain travel insurance and will exclude covid-19.
Anyone entering UK 14 days quarantine.
The days of mass tourism are over. It was destroying the planet, spreading coronavirus around the world.
We hear birdsong, streets are traffic free, cities are pollution free.
There can be no return to normal as normal was normal.
End the stranglehold tour companies have on the sector, restrict tour companies to 20% of occupancy, no one tour company more than 10%, payment at the end of the month not end of season. Encourage direct bookings, long stay. No all-inclusive hotels which are killing local economies and bring in the dregs of the tourist industry. Fewer tourists, quality tourists.
Amsterdam with the help of Oxford economist Kate Raworth has developed a post-pandemic recovery programme, Doughnut Economics Amsterdam. A rough draft has been drawn up for Cyprus, Doughnut Economics Cyprus, focusing on the tourist sector.
Greece needs to follow suit, a Doughnut Economic model for Athens, for the islands.
Tourism has to be sustainable, it has to benefit all of society.
