Holland Sends 200 Vacationers to Greece as an Experiment

Holland is planning to send 200 people on holiday to Greece for eight days as an experiment to see if tourism is feasible during the pandemic, the BBC reports.

The trial will see travelers enjoy an all-inclusive holiday in Rhodes, costing a mere €399 ($470) per person, the BBC says.

Those chosen for the experiment — which has had 25,000 applications so far — will be expected to quarantine for ten days when they return to Holland.

During the experiment, hosted by the travel company Sunweb, the selected 187 holiday-goers will not be allowed to leave the resort.

According to RTL Nieuws, they will be staying at the Mitsis Grand Hotel in Rhodes, where they will be the only guests.

Holland is discouraging all foreign travel, except essential journeys, until mid-May.

Since the beginning of the pandemic, the country has recorded 1.25 million confirmed cases and 16,536 deaths.

The country has been carrying out a number of experiments to understand which activities could be safe to resume, including a conference attended by 500 people and a dance party with 1,300 guests.

Those wishing to take part in the latest vacationing experiment must be aged 18-70 and will be tested before and after they travel.

In the experiment, which has been given the go-ahead by public health authorities in Holland, they will be allowed to use the hotel’s facilities, including three swimming pools and two restaurants, but won’t be able to head down to the beach or leave the resort.

Greece plans to open to tourism on May 14

Earlier in March, Greece announced that is opening its tourist season on May 14 – but only to those who have been vaccinated or have antibodies against the coronavirus or test negative for it.

“We aim to open tourism by May 14, with specific rules and updated protocols. Until then, we will gradually lift the restrictions if conditions allow,” Tourism Minister, Haris Theoharis told reporters.

Revealing the new tourist slogan for the Summer of 2021, “All you need is Greece,” Theocharis invited the international public to visit Greece this year to forget the “unpleasant memories” of the past year.

This year and forever, he stated, “All you need is Greece.” Taking a much-needed vacation in Greece, he says, will “put a smile on your face again, with the hope that you will take back life” after the unending difficulties of the past year.

Until May 14, Theocharis explained, a pilot opening for the tourism season will be considered, most likely beginning in early April, opening to residents of not only EU nations but also countries that have advanced vaccination programs, such as Israel.