The competition to be Europe’s safest vacation destination

Both Portugal and Greece offer beautiful beaches, delicious cuisine, rich history, and plenty of sunshine, but now they’re positioning themselves as the safest options for tourists, hoping to attract visitors to revive economies battered by the pandemic.

With both countries recently reopening to international travelers, Portugal and Greece are emphasizing their low infection rates and robust measures to ensure visitor safety.

However, both nations are facing severe financial challenges and desperately need to attract tourists to avoid economic ruin.

Portuguese Prime Minister António Costa believes that Portugal’s appeal remains strong as ever, but has launched a new safety-focused campaign. 'All the reasons to visit Portugal are still here, and tourists are welcome,' he tells Dinogo.

With just 1,520 Covid-19 related deaths among a population of under 11 million, Portugal boasts one of Europe’s lowest death tolls. The government is optimistic that its effective pandemic response will help the country stand out and attract tourists.

Costa proudly states, 'We’ve conducted extensive testing, and we have a clear understanding of the virus’s spread. Our numbers are among the safest, and we’re confident that people can visit with peace of mind. Confidence will be key when choosing a holiday destination, and Portugal stands out as a top choice.'

Kyriakos Mitsotakis, Greece’s Prime Minister, echoes Costa’s sentiment, emphasizing that safety is Greece’s top priority as the country reopens its seasonal hotels to visitors from across Europe this week.

Mitsotakis says, 'I’m not focused on making Greece the top tourist spot in Europe. My goal is to make Greece the safest place to visit in Europe.'

'Clean and Safe'

In Portugal, part of the strategy to build tourist confidence involves implementing a hygiene certification system to label tourist establishments as 'clean and safe.'

Costa explains, 'We’ve developed a protocol with health authorities and hotels to introduce a special 'clean and safe' seal, ensuring everyone feels secure when they visit.' So far, around 14,000 businesses have earned the seal, and 15,000 workers have been trained to uphold the standards.

Although Costa acknowledges that tourism numbers won’t match previous years, he points to positive signs suggesting that occupancy rates will remain strong.

Though it's still early in the summer season, both Portugal and Greece are experiencing a slow start.

Lisbon’s historic Alfama district, typically buzzing with tourists on a sunny day, remains quiet. The area, which has seen many locals displaced by gentrification, is just starting to reopen its restaurants, shops, and cafes that were shut during the pandemic's peak.

'We had to shut our doors for around two months; the last time we closed was back in 1977,' says Miguel Clarinha, the owner and manager of Pasteis de Belem, a beloved Lisbon institution known for its famous Pasteis de Nata custard tarts.

Since reopening in mid-May, business has been at just 15-20% of normal levels, with the bakery selling around 4,000 custard tarts daily, compared to the usual 30,000.

'We’re optimistic, of course, but we understand that this year will be slow,' he admits.

A last-minute decision

Among the few travelers spotted, 48-year-old Christine Benna, an office administrator from Germany, says she felt it was safe enough to travel.

'We had planned this trip before the pandemic,' she explains. 'We waited until the last minute to see if flying would be possible, and once it was, we decided to go.'

Benna and her partner spent most of their two-week stay in Portugal away from Lisbon, visiting friends in the countryside, with only one day spent in the capital.

'We didn’t want to delay the trip because who knows how things will unfold in the coming months, and the situation could worsen,' she says, admitting this may be their only trip outside of Germany this year.

While many might have opted for refunds or postponed their trips due to the circumstances, the couple felt confident enough to board a plane.

'We wore FFP2 masks throughout the flight to stay safe,' says Rainer Dreiling, 52, a cancer researcher from Germany and Benna’s partner. 'In open spaces, the risk is minimal, it’s only in confined areas like rooms where you need to be cautious, but we’re not worried about it.'

A survey by Hotelaria de Portugal, which represents 65% of the country’s hotels, indicates that travelers like Benna and Dreiling are indeed planning holidays in Portugal. However, the overall optimism is not as high as that expressed by Prime Minister Costa.

The majority of bookings are coming from Spain (20.7%), the United Kingdom (16.8%), France (14.7%), and Germany (9.4%), according to the survey. The study also revealed that most hotels expect occupancy rates to remain below 20% for the rest of the year.

As a result, most hotels will not reach full capacity until September, and many will operate at reduced levels until the end of the year. This presents a grim outlook, particularly for a country where tourism accounts for 14.6% of GDP.

'Until there’s a vaccine, the virus will persist,' says Prime Minister Costa. 'At first, our only option was to stay home, but now we’ve learned more and found ways to live safely with the virus.'

Beaches without crowds

While iconic beaches like the rugged Porto Katsiki on Lefkas – frequently ranked among the world’s best – are currently crowd-free, they are expected to fill up as Greece slowly reopens its borders.

With far fewer Covid-19 deaths than Portugal, Greece is being recognized as one of the safest Mediterranean destinations for travelers this summer. The country has recorded under 200 deaths and just over 3,000 cases in a population of 11 million.

Greece is implementing a phased reopening, beginning with a transitional period until June 30, during which international flights will only be allowed to land at the two main airports in Athens and Thessaloniki.

Direct international flights to Greece’s popular tourist destinations will resume starting July 1, with ferries from other countries also allowed to dock from that month.

The reopening allows travelers from a list of countries with low infection rates to enter Greece, though they will be subject to random testing. The list is expected to be expanded by July.

Passengers arriving from airports on a 'black list' of high-risk areas compiled by the EU’s Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) will be required to take a test and must quarantine overnight while awaiting results.

Even with a negative test result, travelers from high-risk regions will still be required to self-quarantine for a week at their destination. Those who test positive will be quarantined for up to 14 days.

Quarantine accommodations

Greece is hopeful that its early success in managing the virus will help boost its tourism revenue, which accounts for over 20% of the country’s GDP and provides one in four jobs.

Similar to Portugal, Greece has implemented strict health and safety measures. Hotels must have a designated doctor on call, and employees are required to undergo regular testing.

At popular tourist spots, 'Covid-19 rooms' or even entire hotels have been designated for quarantine purposes, reserved for guests who test positive for the virus.

Hoteliers in Lefkas report that most inquiries from potential clients focus on health and safety measures.

'Travelers want to visit, but they’re seeking ways to minimize exposure. They want assurance that once they arrive, they’ll have space to practice social distancing and feel secure,' says Odysseas Christofides, owner of the Pavezzo Country Retreat.

Christofides estimates a 60% drop in bookings compared to last year. 'We also have many guests with confirmed reservations who are uncertain if they’ll need to cancel last minute due to travel restrictions and flight concerns. It's a year where we take it step by step,' he says.

In Parga, a resort town north of Lefkas, the beach has just been cleaned, and sunbeds have been arranged. Normally attracting tens of thousands of visitors, mostly from northern Europe, the beach was empty at the start of the season for the first time since the 1950s, locals report. While preparations are underway, there’s growing concern about what the summer will bring.

'Bookings show that many people are not traveling this summer. A lot of clients have already rescheduled their trips for next year,' says Antonis Zygouris, manager of Parga-based travel agency ITS Travel. 'But if the first travelers have a positive experience and return home safely, things might start to improve.'

Downward trend

With annual visitor numbers more than doubling since 2010 and growing dependence on the tourism sector, Greece understands that despite its early successes, the economy will still face significant losses. The government has already reported that over half of this year's tourism revenue has been lost.

Tourism had just begun to help Greece recover from a decade-long financial crisis, but now, it seems the same sector’s challenges will plunge the economy into another downturn.

In an effort to support the tourism industry, Greece's government has rolled out a comprehensive plan that includes strengthening the country’s healthcare infrastructure.

This includes the addition of nearly 450 beds for Covid-19 patients on popular islands, as well as the recruitment of nearly 700 extra staff members. In addition, 11 airplanes have been converted into high-tech 'transit capsules' to transport patients in need of intensive care to hospitals.

Despite the challenges ahead, Greece's Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis states that the upcoming months will bring 'a different summer.'

Portugal's Prime Minister António Costa shares the same sentiment.

'We will have to coexist with the virus for a long time,' he says. 'Does this change our lives? Yes. Does it hinder our lives? No. It simply requires us to live in a new way.'