Athens, May 14 (IANS): Greece will reopen to international tourists who have been vaccinated against Covid-19 starting from Friday, Tourism Minister Harry Theoharis said.

"The biggest wager is to open in safety," he said on Thursday while addressing an event for the launch of the new advertising campaign of the Greek National Tourism Organization under the motto "All you want is Greece".

The challenge last year was to keep the tourism industry, a pillar of the national economy for decades, alive, said the official, expressing optimism that 2021 will be a better year for for the sector, reports Xinhua news agency.

Under the government's plan, travellers to Greece should submit a certificate of vaccination against Covid-19, a certificate on recovery from the novel coronavirus or a recent negative test.

As of June 1, the European Union (EU)'s green pass will be operational to facilitate travel, Theoharis noted.

Anybody living in the EU member states will be able to have a digital health pass to display their vaccination status, test results and whether they have recovered from an infection, according to the Minister.