Starting August 17, Greece will tighten the requirements for Swedes traveling into the country. To be allowed in, all Swedish tourists must be able to show a negative corona test.
”The number of Swedes who can get to Greece will decrease,” says Erika Butterworth, CEO of Apollo.
The Greek government announced on Monday that all Swedes who want to travel to the country must present a negative PCR test, which shows whether a person has an active corona infection. The test result must not be more than 72 hours old.
The announcement has created concern among Swedish charter tourists who have booked trips to Greece. At the tour operator Apollo, the phone queue grew long on Tuesday morning.
”We realize this will be confusing for our customers, and we will contact Greek authorities to try to influence their decision,” says Erika Butterworth.
According to Apollo, the rule change will be a major practical challenge, as it can be difficult to get tested and get the test results back on such short notice. The fact that the results can only be up to 72 hours old makes things even more difficult.
”"This means that the number of Swedes who can get to Greece will decrease. It is difficult to get the tests in time, especially for those who do not live in the larger cities," says Erika Butterworth.
If the Greeks do not change their decision, Apollo will try to find a partner who can handle the testing for the company's customers. As a last resort, it may be forced to cancel flights to Greece in the near future.
The tour operator TUI is also working on a solution that they hope will enable all of the company's customers to test themselves before departure.
”"Right now we are prepared for all scenarios that may arise. Individual rules for the different European countries do not make things easier, but for now our flights to Greece continue to operate as planned," says Magnus Hüttenberend, Nordic Communications Manager at TUI.
Greece registered 203 new confirmed cases on Sunday, the country's highest daily number since the coronavirus pandemic broke out.
Source: TT
