Greece, desperate to regain its role as one of Europe’s signature tourism destinations, is lifting some of its lockdown restrictions and reopening ancient outdoor archaeological sites, including the famed Acropolis.
The relaxation of the measures, announced on Friday, comes as a more contagious and possibly more lethal virus variant swamps Europe. A fourth virus wave looms as vaccinations are lagging around the continent, prompting countries like Italy, France and Poland to lock down once again.

The surge is already hitting Greece: The country recently reported its highest daily rate of new cases in a year, and its hospitals are stretched thin.

Greece’s shattered tourism industry is normally the lifeblood of its economy, accounting for a fifth of its gross domestic product and about one in five jobs. The industry’s annual revenue dropped to 4 billion euros last year from 18 billion euros in 2019.

The country has pushed to establish some form of document that would show proof of vaccination, a recent negative test or recovery from Covid-19.

On Wednesday, the European Union, under pressure from Greece and other member states, came forward with a proposal for such a travel certificate, known as a Digital Green Certificate. Greece is also trying to create similar arrangements with the US, Canada and Britain.

Greece’s relaxation of restrictions is part of a gradual effort to reboot tourism ahead of an official reopening set for May 14. The changes were described by Greek health officials as “pressure release valves”, intended to offer some respite to the public, which has been under some form of lockdown since early November.

The country will allow open-air archaeological sites and hair salons to open from Monday, and weekend curfews nationwide will be relaxed.

New York Times News Service