Nothing works anymore between the two Mediterranean territories: Greece has banned pleasure boats from crossing the border into its own country since last year, and this was extended again in a second wave at the beginning of November. The consequence is particularly hard for owners in Turkey, who used to cross more or less regularly to the island world of the Aegean. But nothing is working in the opposite direction at the moment either, even charter crews are unable to transfer to the neighbouring country.
An official government announcement states:
"From 9 November 2020, arrivals by sea of private yachts, cruise ships, ferries and other tourist vessels, regardless of flag, (...) are prohibited. There is no sea connection to Turkey and Albania."
This means that it is currently impossible to switch between Italy and the Ionian Sea. It is still unclear whether this will change in the foreseeable future. The country has been in a hard lockdown for several weeks, which will last until at least22 March will continue. This also applies to the harbours and marinas, which are closed to tourist activities and sailing is prohibited. Charter is currently suspended until the end of the lockdown on 22 March, but it is quite possible that this will be extended so as not to unnecessarily jeopardise the summer season, as charter company operators told YACHT.
Greece had come through the coronavirus crisis relatively unscathed for a long time, but now the numbers are rising there too, and the RKI has now put the entire country, including the island regions, on the list of risk areas - last year it was only the Athens region, Thessaloniki and parts of the Peloponnese. The incidence rate for the whole country is currently just under 150, which means that charter crews and owners have to return to Greece in isolation and can only be released after a few days at the earliest.
Like many other European countries, Greece has started to categorise the coronavirus situation in the regions into zones (green to deep red). Different rules then apply depending on the situation. A decision on how to proceed with tourism will be made in the middle of next month. However, there is a glimmer of hope in that there are reports of some Greek islands that have started to vaccinate their inhabitants completely due to their small populations. So far, however, there are only a few islands, especially very small ones such as Meganisi, Kalamos and Folegandros, but the list is getting longer.
This makes it difficult for charter crews to assess the situation for the time being, so they have little choice but to wait and see. As in 2020, German tourists currently have to register in advance via the internet or app when entering the country and present a negative PCR test, which must not be older than 72 hours.
Andreas Fritsch
Editor Travel
