Greece, Israel to sign agreement on tourism during PM's visit

Greece and Israel are expected to sign a bilateral agreement on tourism on Monday during a visit by Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis to Jerusalem, a Greek government spokeswoman said.

Tourism, which accounts for about a fifth of the Greek economy and employs one in five workers, collapsed last year as the coronavirus pandemic gutted revenues to 4 billion euros ($4.81 billion) from 18 billion in 2019.

Mitsotakis, due in Israel on Monday evening, has forecast a strong rebound in tourism this summer, saying speedy vaccination drives in key markets including Israel will pave the way for tourists to return despite the current industry gloom.

Spokeswoman Aristotelia Peloni provided no further details on the agreement on tourism, but reiterated that Israel is a significant market for Greece.

"If 70 percent of the population has been vaccinated by end March it...