Greece Leads Balkans in Welcoming Israeli ‘Green Pass’ Tourists

After the poor tourist season last year caused by the pandemic, some Balkan countries are hoping to lure tourists from Israel, which has vaccinated much of its population, by recognising its so called "Green Pass" for fully vaccinated people.

More than half of all Israelis have now received both COVID-19 jabs, making the country a world beater in vaccination.

The pass is an official document that Israel citizens can get if they have either received a second dose of a COVID vaccine or have recovered from the coronavirus. Green Pass holders can enter restaurants, cafes, hotels, sport facilities, cultural facilities or events and similar.

According to the Times of Israel, the Green Pass has already been recognized by Greece. Israel's Foreign Ministry also announced on Monday that a weekly maximum of 10,000 Israelis will be allowed to enter Greece.

Ilan Mor, Israel's Ambassador in Croatia, said these two countries had started discussing recognition of the Israeli Green Pass.

"Israel and Croatia started the process on an expert level today [Wednesday], it is the first meeting. So I guess in the coming weeks and months we will continue [to discuss it] until, I hope, we reach an agreement", Mor told BIRN.

Israeli tourist are interested also in Serbia, and Aleksandar Senicic, head of the National Association of Tourist Agencies of Serbia, YUTA, said tourist agencies that are working with them are pushing for acceptance of the certificates.

"We have started some talks, initiated by the agencies that work on Israel as a destination, and on Serbia as a destination in Israel - but as far as I know no agreement has been reached yet," Senicic told BIRN.

Serbia's Tourism Ministry and Foreign Ministry did not answer...