Greece is hoping to welcome British tourists this summer. Getty Images
Greece is hoping to welcome British tourists this summer. Getty Images
Greece is hoping to welcome British tourists this summer. Getty Images
Greece is hoping to welcome British tourists this summer. Getty Images

Greece plans to lure tourists with vaccine certificates for semi-normal summer


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­The Greek government wants the UK to introduce vaccine certificates to allow inoculated Britons to visit this summer.

Greek Tourism Minister Harry Theohari said that talks were under way between the two nations on the creation of a scheme that would allow for a “semi-normal” summer, with vaccinated people not required to present a negative Covid-19 test before their holiday.

Greece, Israel and Cyprus signed an accord this week to allow unimpeded travel for tourists with vaccine certificates. Under the agreement, Israeli citizens who prove they have received an EU-approved Covid-19 shot do not have to undergo a PCR test nor quarantine on arrival.

Mr Theohari said that Greece hoped to introduce a similar scheme with the UK. About two million tourists visited the Mediterranean country from Britain each year before the pandemic disrupted international travel.

"Hopefully both with the vaccination programmes going forward and the summer limiting the spread of the disease, we can have a semi-normal summer," he told BBC Radio 4's Today programme. "We are in very preliminary discussions in expressing the plans to the government, as well as how this could work."

Mr Theohari said that the potential for inoculated tourists to spread Covid-19 was not as risky as the current scheme of testing before arrival.

“We don’t want to limit travel to those who have been vaccinated but since we are mandating that before travelling someone has to have a negative test result, this is a waste of resources if people are vaccinated [and have] to be tested every time they travel,” he said.

“The need for this testing could be limited by the vaccination certificate. The vaccine certificate is a step forward, not a step backwards.”

Mr Theohari said that Greek’s vaccine certificate programme was digital, with three layers of security.

Denmark and Sweden are committed to introducing vaccine passports to ease international travel.

The tourism sector was buoyed by scientific observations on the spread of Covid-19 on busy beaches.

Prof Mark Woolhouse from the University of Edinburgh said that no known Covid-19 outbreaks had been traced to crowded coastal spots.

“Over the summer we were treated to all this on the television news and pictures of crowded beaches and there was an outcry about this,” he told Britain's House of Commons science and technology committee.

“There were no outbreaks linked to crowded beaches. There's never been a Covid-19 outbreak linked to a beach, ever, anywhere in the world, to the best of my knowledge.”

Experts believe the combination of fresh sea air and warm temperatures reduces the spread of the virus. Prof Woolhouse warned of the risk associated with mass gatherings outdoors, such as horse racing, because of "pinch points" at entrances, toilets and food stalls.

Passengers at Eleftherios Venizelos International Airport in Athens last summer. Getty Images
Passengers at Eleftherios Venizelos International Airport in Athens last summer. Getty Images

“We do have to understand where the risks are so that we can do as much as possible safely,” he said.

This week, the tourism sector launched its Save Our Summer campaign, pressuring the UK government to allow travel to resume by May.

“Due to the impressive vaccination roll-out in the UK, May is very reasonable for safely opening up the travel sector despite what the doomsayers say,” travel consultant Paul Charles tweeted.

Coronavirus across Europe – in pictures

  • A healthcare worker administers a vaccine in Ameland, the Netherlands. The vaccination of the elderly and care workers has started on the Frisian Wadden Islands. EPA
    A healthcare worker administers a vaccine in Ameland, the Netherlands. The vaccination of the elderly and care workers has started on the Frisian Wadden Islands. EPA
  • A general view ahead of a curfew in quiet Amsterdam, the Netherlands. Reuters
    A general view ahead of a curfew in quiet Amsterdam, the Netherlands. Reuters
  • Elsa, a Covid-19 patient who was has been in hospital for 315 days, is applauded as she is discharged from the hospital in Madrid, Spain. EPA
    Elsa, a Covid-19 patient who was has been in hospital for 315 days, is applauded as she is discharged from the hospital in Madrid, Spain. EPA
  • Doctors of the San Gennaro hospital protest and briefly block a road calling for the redevelopment of the hospital and the reopening of the emergency room in Naples, Italy. EPA
    Doctors of the San Gennaro hospital protest and briefly block a road calling for the redevelopment of the hospital and the reopening of the emergency room in Naples, Italy. EPA
  • The 'Pieta Rondanini,' a marble work by Michelangelo on display at the Museum of the Sforzesco Castle in Milan, Italy. The sculpture can be seen again after the closures due to the coronavirus were lifted. EPA
    The 'Pieta Rondanini,' a marble work by Michelangelo on display at the Museum of the Sforzesco Castle in Milan, Italy. The sculpture can be seen again after the closures due to the coronavirus were lifted. EPA
  • Workers unload the cargo of a Hungarian Airbus 330 plane, having transported the first doses of the Chinese Sinopharm vaccine at Budapest Ferenc Liszt International Airport. AFP
    Workers unload the cargo of a Hungarian Airbus 330 plane, having transported the first doses of the Chinese Sinopharm vaccine at Budapest Ferenc Liszt International Airport. AFP
  • Police and security patrols at residential buildings that are placed under quarantine in Hamm, western Germany. AP Photo
    Police and security patrols at residential buildings that are placed under quarantine in Hamm, western Germany. AP Photo
  • An on-site construction worker living in the buildings in Hamm tested positive for the mutated strain, which first emerged in Britain. AP Photo
    An on-site construction worker living in the buildings in Hamm tested positive for the mutated strain, which first emerged in Britain. AP Photo
  • A person walks inside the Covid-19 vaccination village at the Brussels Expo exposition halls on its inauguration day in Belgium. AFP
    A person walks inside the Covid-19 vaccination village at the Brussels Expo exposition halls on its inauguration day in Belgium. AFP
  • People wait to receive the vaccine at the Brussels Expo halls. AFP
    People wait to receive the vaccine at the Brussels Expo halls. AFP
  • A nurse tries to work as all computers are rendered out of service following a cyber attack at the Villefranche-sur-Saone's hospital in France. AFP
    A nurse tries to work as all computers are rendered out of service following a cyber attack at the Villefranche-sur-Saone's hospital in France. AFP
JERSEY INFO

Red Jersey
General Classification: worn daily, starting from Stage 2, by the leader of the General Classification by time.
Green Jersey
Points Classification: worn daily, starting from Stage 2, by the fastest sprinter, who has obtained the best positions in each stage and intermediate sprints.
White Jersey
Young Rider Classification: worn daily, starting from Stage 2, by the best young rider born after January 1, 1995 in the overall classification by time (U25).
Black Jersey
Intermediate Sprint Classification: worn daily, starting from Stage 2, by the rider who has gained the most Intermediate Sprint Points.

The finalists

Player of the Century, 2001-2020: Cristiano Ronaldo (Juventus), Lionel Messi (Barcelona), Mohamed Salah (Liverpool), Ronaldinho

Coach of the Century, 2001-2020: Pep Guardiola (Manchester City), Jose Mourinho (Tottenham Hotspur), Zinedine Zidane (Real Madrid), Sir Alex Ferguson

Club of the Century, 2001-2020: Al Ahly (Egypt), Bayern Munich (Germany), Barcelona (Spain), Real Madrid (Spain)

Player of the Year: Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi, Robert Lewandowski (Bayern Munich)

Club of the Year: Bayern Munich, Liverpool, Real Madrid

Coach of the Year: Gian Piero Gasperini (Atalanta), Hans-Dieter Flick (Bayern Munich), Jurgen Klopp (Liverpool)

Agent of the Century, 2001-2020: Giovanni Branchini, Jorge Mendes, Mino Raiola

The National's picks

4.35pm: Tilal Al Khalediah
5.10pm: Continous
5.45pm: Raging Torrent
6.20pm: West Acre
7pm: Flood Zone
7.40pm: Straight No Chaser
8.15pm: Romantic Warrior
8.50pm: Calandogan
9.30pm: Forever Young

The specs

Price: From Dh180,000 (estimate)

Engine: 2.0-litre turbocharged and supercharged in-line four-cylinder

Transmission: Eight-speed automatic

Power: 320hp @ 5,700rpm

Torque: 400Nm @ 2,200rpm

Fuel economy, combined: 9.7L / 100km

2025 Fifa Club World Cup groups

Group A: Palmeiras, Porto, Al Ahly, Inter Miami.

Group B: Paris Saint-Germain, Atletico Madrid, Botafogo, Seattle.

Group C: Bayern Munich, Auckland City, Boca Juniors, Benfica.

Group D: Flamengo, ES Tunis, Chelsea, Leon.

Group E: River Plate, Urawa, Monterrey, Inter Milan.

Group F: Fluminense, Borussia Dortmund, Ulsan, Mamelodi Sundowns.

Group G: Manchester City, Wydad, Al Ain, Juventus.

Group H: Real Madrid, Al Hilal, Pachuca, Salzburg.

Rainbow

Kesha

(Kemosabe)

World record transfers

1. Kylian Mbappe - to Real Madrid in 2017/18 - €180 million (Dh770.4m - if a deal goes through)
2. Paul Pogba - to Manchester United in 2016/17 - €105m
3. Gareth Bale - to Real Madrid in 2013/14 - €101m
4. Cristiano Ronaldo - to Real Madrid in 2009/10 - €94m
5. Gonzalo Higuain - to Juventus in 2016/17 - €90m
6. Neymar - to Barcelona in 2013/14 - €88.2m
7. Romelu Lukaku - to Manchester United in 2017/18 - €84.7m
8. Luis Suarez - to Barcelona in 2014/15 - €81.72m
9. Angel di Maria - to Manchester United in 2014/15 - €75m
10. James Rodriguez - to Real Madrid in 2014/15 - €75m

WHAT%20IS%20THE%20LICENSING%20PROCESS%20FOR%20VARA%3F
%3Cp%3EVara%20will%20cater%20to%20three%20categories%20of%20companies%20in%20Dubai%20(except%20the%20DIFC)%3A%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ECategory%20A%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Minimum%20viable%20product%20(MVP)%20applicants%20that%20are%20currently%20in%20the%20process%20of%20securing%20an%20MVP%20licence%3A%20This%20is%20a%20three-stage%20process%20starting%20with%20%5B1%5D%20a%20provisional%20permit%2C%20graduating%20to%20%5B2%5D%20preparatory%20licence%20and%20concluding%20with%20%5B3%5D%20operational%20licence.%20Applicants%20that%20are%20already%20in%20the%20MVP%20process%20will%20be%20advised%20by%20Vara%20to%20either%20continue%20within%20the%20MVP%20framework%20or%20be%20transitioned%20to%20the%20full%20market%20product%20licensing%20process.%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ECategory%20B%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Existing%20legacy%20virtual%20asset%20service%20providers%20prior%20to%20February%207%2C%202023%2C%20which%20are%20required%20to%20come%20under%20Vara%20supervision.%20All%20operating%20service%20proviers%20in%20Dubai%20(excluding%20the%20DIFC)%20fall%20under%20Vara%E2%80%99s%20supervision.%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ECategory%20C%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20New%20applicants%20seeking%20a%20Vara%20licence%20or%20existing%20applicants%20adding%20new%20activities.%20All%20applicants%20that%20do%20not%20fall%20under%20Category%20A%20or%20B%20can%20begin%20the%20application%20process%20through%20their%20current%20or%20prospective%20commercial%20licensor%20%E2%80%94%20the%20DET%20or%20Free%20Zone%20Authority%20%E2%80%94%20or%20directly%20through%20Vara%20in%20the%20instance%20that%20they%20have%20yet%20to%20determine%20the%20commercial%20operating%20zone%20in%20Dubai.%C2%A0%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
How%20to%20avoid%20getting%20scammed
%3Cul%3E%0A%3Cli%3ENever%20click%20on%20links%20provided%20via%20app%20or%20SMS%2C%20even%20if%20they%20seem%20to%20come%20from%20authorised%20senders%20at%20first%20glance%3C%2Fli%3E%0A%3Cli%3EAlways%20double-check%20the%20authenticity%20of%20websites%3C%2Fli%3E%0A%3Cli%3EEnable%20Two-Factor%20Authentication%20(2FA)%20for%20all%20your%20working%20and%20personal%20services%3C%2Fli%3E%0A%3Cli%3EOnly%20use%20official%20links%20published%20by%20the%20respective%20entity%3C%2Fli%3E%0A%3Cli%3EDouble-check%20the%20web%20addresses%20to%20reduce%20exposure%20to%20fake%20sites%20created%20with%20domain%20names%20containing%20spelling%20errors%3C%2Fli%3E%0A%3C%2Ful%3E%0A

SPECS

Toyota land Cruiser 2020 5.7L VXR

Engine: 5.7-litre V8

Transmission: eight-speed automatic

Power: 362hp

Torque: 530Nm

Price: Dh329,000 (base model 4.0L EXR Dh215,900)

Company%20profile
%3Cp%3EDate%20started%3A%20January%202022%3Cbr%3EFounders%3A%20Omar%20Abu%20Innab%2C%20Silvia%20Eldawi%2C%20Walid%20Shihabi%3Cbr%3EBased%3A%20Dubai%3Cbr%3ESector%3A%20PropTech%20%2F%20investment%3Cbr%3EEmployees%3A%2040%3Cbr%3EStage%3A%20Seed%3Cbr%3EInvestors%3A%20Multiple%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
It Was Just an Accident

Director: Jafar Panahi

Stars: Vahid Mobasseri, Mariam Afshari, Ebrahim Azizi, Hadis Pakbaten, Majid Panahi, Mohamad Ali Elyasmehr

Rating: 4/5

War and the virus
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Mamo 

 Year it started: 2019 Founders: Imad Gharazeddine, Asim Janjua

 Based: Dubai, UAE

 Number of employees: 28

 Sector: Financial services

 Investment: $9.5m

 Funding stage: Pre-Series A Investors: Global Ventures, GFC, 4DX Ventures, AlRajhi Partners, Olive Tree Capital, and prominent Silicon Valley investors. 

 
THE SPECS

Engine: 6.75-litre twin-turbocharged V12 petrol engine 

Power: 420kW

Torque: 780Nm

Transmission: 8-speed automatic

Price: From Dh1,350,000

On sale: Available for preorder now

In numbers: China in Dubai

The number of Chinese people living in Dubai: An estimated 200,000

Number of Chinese people in International City: Almost 50,000

Daily visitors to Dragon Mart in 2018/19: 120,000

Daily visitors to Dragon Mart in 2010: 20,000

Percentage increase in visitors in eight years: 500 per cent

Match info

Liverpool 4
Salah (19'), Mane (45 2', 53'), Sturridge (87')

West Ham United 0

The biog

Birthday: February 22, 1956

Born: Madahha near Chittagong, Bangladesh

Arrived in UAE: 1978

Exercise: At least one hour a day on the Corniche, from 5.30-6am and 7pm to 8pm.

Favourite place in Abu Dhabi? “Everywhere. Wherever you go, you can relax.”

UAE's role in anti-extremism recognised

General John Allen, President of the Brookings Institution research group, commended the role the UAE has played in the fight against terrorism and violent extremism.

He told a Globsec debate of the UAE’s "hugely outsized" role in the fight against Isis.

"It’s trite these days to say that any country punches above its weight, but in every possible way the Emirates did, both militarily, and very importantly, the UAE was extraordinarily helpful on getting to the issue of violent extremism," he said.

He also noted the impact that Hedayah, among others in the UAE, has played in addressing violent extremism.