Greek hotels reopen to an uncertain future

Greece allowed year-round hotels to open on Monday, restarting its vital tourism sector hobbled by weeks of lockdown, although business remained quiet with international flights from its main airports only set to resume from June 15.

With borders also still shut in key tourism markets, some hotels have pushed back their openings due to low reservations.

“We got our jobs back, but there is stress and uncertainty over the future,” Spyros Divanis, managing director of Divani Hotels, told Reuters.

Only one seaside hotel in Athens of seven hotels in the chain opened on Monday. The rest will open depending on bookings, he said.

Greece, which emerged from international bailout programmes in 2018, is banking on the lure of its rich culture and stunning landscapes for an economic recovery. Tourism accounts for about 20% of national output.

Having contained the spread of COVID-19 better than many European Union countries, Greece has been easing restrictions since May.