Easter 2021. Comings and goings, against the backdrop of the much-anticipated festive trip to the village. A veil of uncertainty shrouds the outlook for each household’s individual plans, with the government and experts setting the tone by postponing any decisions regarding travel to the last minute.
Of course, tourism professionals play a role in this equation; the tourism sector has been hit harder than almost any other by the onslaught of the coronavirus pandemic over the past year.
Kythera. News reached out to people active in the field and asked for their opinions on what lies ahead—within the limits of what anyone can predict.
The general impression is that The situation isn't going to become clear until the very last moment. And given the data from the last few days—which show a massive death toll and a record number of patients on ventilators—the scales seem to be tipping toward the worst-case scenario. Until then, seasonal accommodations will see sluggish demand, with tourists becoming a «species on the verge of extinction»—or, more accurately, a species in search of a home. Even the government’s announced milestone date of May 14 for the official reopening of tourism does not clarify the situation. This is because there is still no information on what the future holds for the restaurant industry. After all, it is well known that the restaurant industry and tourism are interconnected.
These, however, are post-Easter concerns that set the tone for a bleak outlook, which is expected to prevail at least until the end of June. This is because, even if health indicators allow restrictions to be lifted everywhere, tourists will need to have scheduled their vaccination appointments before arriving, since that is when the platforms for the working-age population are expected to open. Let’s not forget that, in Europe at least, the process has been delayed, both due to the late delivery of Pfizer vaccines and the issues that have arisen with AstraZeneca and Johnson & Johnson. As for the rest, the British have—at least for now—been given a red card by their government preventing them from leaving the island.
And what about the Greeks? The Greeks will simply go with the flow. This means waiting until the last minute for «white smoke» to emerge from the Easter meeting of the infectious disease committee so they can head out to the countryside. Certainly, locals and those who own a home on the island are expected to have greater freedom of movement, because, let’s face it, it’s one thing to already have a roof over your head and quite another to risk having the sky fall on your head because of a last-minute decision—whatever that may be.
Be that as it may, however, everything seems to indicate that, Even if the green light is given for travel during the Easter season, such travel will be subject to certain terms and conditions. These have to do both with compliance with precautionary measures and with the «pass» that must be shown when coming and going. This is expected to be a two-way process. Either a negative self-test or a vaccination certificate accompanied by a negative self-test.
One thing is certain, though: those who are already on the island by then will definitely be celebrating Easter in Kythira in 2021. And even if there’s no festive atmosphere in the air, at least let’s—those of us who are there—create a nice atmosphere ourselves.
