There are increasing signs that Chinese market will open to Greek tourism faster than previously expected. Among these indications is the beginning of the second weekly direct flight Greece – China and especially from Shanghai. Her new itinerary Air China will be added to it from Beijing, while Jerusalem international carriers are talking about plans to add new and additional routes after March. The fuse for events is the easing of restrictive measures against the pandemic, which were announced by the Chinese authorities after January 8.

The Shanghai-Athens route was ready for launch on June 17, 2020 by the Chinese company Juneyao. A plan that has been agreed with Athens International Airport since November 2019, but the pandemic canceled the related plans. However, this does not appear to have gone out of Junyao’s plans and could be added to air carriers that connect the two countries, people familiar with the matter say. Of course, it is equally important that the number of direct routes from China to Europe is starting to increase, as the majority of Chinese travelers entering Greece often come from other European countries.

The number of arriving passengers from China exceeded 200,000 passengers for the first time in 2019. During the record growth period, 2014-2019, the Chinese market grew faster in Athens, +166%, compared to the total passenger traffic of Athens International Airport, +104%. . The successful transition to direct flights from Beijing with Air China in 2017 boosted traffic between China and Greece and doubled the market in just two years. A 2019 Athens International Airport Passenger Survey shows that 81% of traffic between China and Greece is leisure and 16% business. Chinese travelers book an average of 91 days before departure and stay in Greece for an average of 11 days.

With the gradual easing of China’s pandemic prevention and control policy, a decision was made to lift the mandatory quarantine on entry into China on January 8, according to Chinese Ambassador to Greece Xiao Juncheng. This is important because it affects Chinese returning to their country. Those traveling to China will be able to board their flight with a negative test 48 hours before departure and complete a health declaration to the authorities upon entry (no longer required to request a QR code) about their health at the Chinese Embassy.

For now, however, Athens is directly connected with a weekly Air China flight from Beijing every Wednesday and another flight from Shanghai every Thursday on a 312-seat A350-900.