Greece may be one of the first countries in the world to reopen to tourists.
Greece Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said Greece may welcome back travelers this summer because of the country’s success with handling the coronavirus outbreak.
He told CNN: “The tourism experience this summer may be slightly different from what you’ve had in previous years. Maybe no bars may be open, or no tight crowds, but you can still get a fantastic experience in Greece — provided that the global epidemic is on a downward path.”
Tourists would begin to filter into the country in mid-June. Mitsotakis said he hopes to have everything open by July 1, according to Business Insider.
Greece has kept its deaths low, amassing only 150 deaths as nearby countries like Italy and France struggled to hold back to the virus’ spread.
Greece has already begun to reopen businesses for the first time since the virus began to plague Europe.
According to Forbes, tourism accounts for 12% of Greece’s economy.
Greece issued quick closures to its country when the coronavirus pandemic began to spread. School, carnivals and restaurants were all closed in late February and early March, according to BBC News.