Israel is preparing to welcome back tourists arriving from Greece on August 1.

The announcement follows a visit of Greece Prime Minister, Kyriakos Mitsotakisis, to Israel in recent days. Travellers from Greece will not need to participate in the prescribed 14-day quarantine.

“We are thrilled that we have been able to set a date for resuming international tourism, beginning with Greece. This is an important development for the citizens of our two countries and a critical step in restoring the travel industry around the globe, helping to position us all for economic recovery following the pandemic,” said Asaf Zamir, Israel Minister of Tourism.

Israel began reopening to domestic tourism on May 4 under its first phase of recovery. For several months, the Tourism Recovery Task Force has been working alongside Ministry officials to put together a plan for safely reopening the country by implementing the appropriate health and safety measures to keep travellers safe, including the Purple Standard for hotels and additional protocols for businesses and attractions.

In preparation to welcome visitors back to the city, Jerusalem’s attractions, services and hospitality venues are reopening in line with strict health regulations enforced by Israel’s Ministry of Health. According to Research by Deep Knowledge Ventures, Israel ranked in third place on the list of safest countries worldwide.