Starting July 1, all Greek airports that can handle international traffic will reopen to flights from abroad, and the country is beckoning Australians to come for a holiday.

The Greek government had made several pitches for Australians to visit recently, after it named Australia on a list of 29 countries deemed “safe.”

The other nations named on the list were: Albania, Australia, Austria, North Macedonia, Bulgaria, Germany, Denmark, Switzerland, Estonia, Japan, Israel, China, Croatia, Cyprus, Latvia, Lebanon, New Zealand, Lithuania, Malta, Montenegro, Norway, South Korea, Hungary, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Czech Republic and Finland.

Citizens of countries that didn’t make the list will be required to undergo a COVID-19 test to determine if they need to be quarantined.

And while a Mediterranean summer holiday – sans mandatory quarantine – sounds enticing, the reality (sadly) turns out to be a little more complicated.

Escaping to Greece mid-pandemic would be a dream come true for many of us, but several experts have pointed out that the offer is not only illegal, but almost impossible to take up. Namely because Australians are currently banned from leaving the country; and the only plausible route would require transit through other blacklisted countries, which would void the quarantine-free offer.

You can’t blame the country for attempting to woo foreign travellers with whatever means possible, though. Without a dramatic turnaround in the number of foreign visitors, the Mediterranean nation looks to be heading for a severe post-COVID recession, courtesy in major part to the impact of travel restrictions. 20% of Greece’s economy relies on tourism. Last year alone, the industry generated $30 billion, courtesy of more than 30 million visitors.

So while a Greek Islands break might not be on the cards just yet, that won’t stop us from daydreaming about some of the most beautiful locations anywhere in the world.

Greece is one of several European countries that recently announced it would be reopening its borders for European travellers from July 1. Among the others with selective land border openings are Austria, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Estonia, Germany, Hungary, Iceland, Latvia, Lithuania, Serbia, Slovakia and Spain.

Need to satisfy your wanderlust? Try this recipe.