Despite a surge in new Covid cases across Europe since the start of the year, Greece’s prime minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis last week said the country was committed to reopening to tourists next month.

Tourism accounts for around 20% of Greece’s economic activity.

Restrictions on visitors from Australia, New Zealand, Russia, South Korea, Thailand, Singapore and Rwanda were lifted on Monday.

Arrivals will have to prove their negative Covid status upon arrival, either through a vaccination certificate or recent negative test for the infection.

It comes after Greece earlier this month signalled it would from 15 May reopen to visitors from other EU member states, along with tourists from the UK and the US.

Quarantine-free trips to Greece from the UK could be possible from 17 May if the country is placed on the UK government’s Covid travel "green list".

It was reported at the weekend, though, that much of Europe would likely be placed on an "amber list" under the government’s new traffic light system for the resumption of international travel.

There are also question marks over whether the Foreign Office’s travel advice will align with the traffic light system, casting further doubt on the proposed 17 May resumption.

The government is expected to publish how countries will be categorised under the traffic light system early next month. The Commons’ transport committee has called for this to be published no later than 1 May.