Summer holidays for the French to be curtailed while Greece says it could open to tourists in July

The Saint-Benezet bridge in Avignon in Provence - AFP
The Saint-Benezet bridge in Avignon in Provence - AFP

The French may be deprived of their sacrosanct summer holidays after President Emmanuel Macron ruled out foreign travel and warned that people may be obliged to remain within 60 miles of their homes.

The country was facing a "rather peculiar summer", Mr Macron said during a visit to a school just days before France is due to start easing lockdown measures after almost two months of home confinement. Coronavirus has killed more than 25,000 people in France.

“It is too soon to say whether we can take holidays. What I can say is that we will limit major international travel, even during the summer holidays. We will stay among Europeans and, depending on how the epidemic evolves, we might have to limit that even more. We will know in early June,” he said.

Dozens of summer concerts, sporting events and other activities have already been canceled, and until July 24 at least, France will require people arriving from outside Europe to remain in isolation for two weeks, in a major blow to the tourism industry.

The Fourni islands in the Aegean  - Lonely Planet Images
The Fourni islands in the Aegean - Lonely Planet Images

Later this week, France is to update a colour-coded map of its regions, with red ones - those most affected by the virus - obliged to observe stricter confinement measures than green ones - those which have fewer cases.

Mr Macron said the country must avoid thousands of potentially infected people leaving red areas, Paris in particular, to take holidays further afield. He urged everyone to respect social distancing in the coming weeks to avoid a return to lockdown and increase the hope of "smiles and sun". "The virus is still here. We have not beaten it, just slowed it down," he warned. "We are entering a new phase: if we are all collectively responsible, I'm sure we'll manage it and I want to give this glimmer of hope."

Greece is also emerging from a strict lockdown, with the prime minister saying that the country could open up to tourists in early July - giving hope to millions of holidaymakers hoping to flock to its sun-soaked islands and whitewashed hilltop villages.

Kyriakos Mitsotakis said the “best-case scenario” is that tourism could restart on July 1.

“We’re working towards that," he told CNN in an interview. “Of course it involves airlines, because most people fly into Greece.”

The exact date will also depend on the implementation of health protocols between countries.

Tourists might have to be tested for Covid-19 before they board planes bound for Greece. There would be “very specific protocols,” said the prime minister.

Unlike France, Italy and Spain, Greece has emerged relatively unscathed by the pandemic.

The government was quick to impose a lockdown and so far just 146 people have died of the virus – compared to nearly 30,000 in Italy.

Tourism makes up around 20% of the Greek economy and the holiday sector is desperate to get going again, having missed out on revenue at Easter.

Two-thirds of Greek hoteliers fear that it is likely they will go bankrupt as a result of the shutdown, according to a study by the Hellenic Chamber of Hotels.

Most hotel owners expect their annual revenue to fall by more than 50%.

Greece’s economy is expected to contract up to 10% this year according to the International Monetary Fund – a bitter blow just as the country was beginning to get back on its feet after a decade of austerity.

“The tourism experience this summer may be slightly different from what you’ve had in previous years, with more social distancing, maybe no bars open,” said Mr Mitsotakis.

A tourist is reflected in a puddle as he walks in front of the 5th century B.C. Parthenon temple on top of the Acropolis in Athens - AP
A tourist is reflected in a puddle as he walks in front of the 5th century B.C. Parthenon temple on top of the Acropolis in Athens - AP

"But you can still get a fantastic experience in Greece provided that the global epidemic is on a downward path.”

The government has decreed that open-air archaeological sites can reopen on May 18, while hotels and restaurants can reopen on June 1.

Israel, Greece and Cyprus are discussing the idea of setting up a safe zone in which each others’ citizens would be able to travel.

All three countries have had a low number of deaths and infections from Covid-19.

Cyprus and Greece are both popular tourist destinations for Israelis.

Israel announced a de facto shutdown of all its borders in March in response to the coronavirus.

The country has reported only 235 deaths and 16,000 infections - 10,000 of whom have recovered.