Greece is prepared to welcome tourists this truncated summer season without discounting safety rules for visitors and locals, Prime minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said on Saturday, during a visit to the popular island of Santorini.

Greece is restarting international flights on Monday (June 15) in a bid to save its hospitality and tourism sectors, while archaeological sites have opened since May.

“We have a crucial summer ahead of us and our intention is to welcome visitors without making any discounts on safety and security, obviously for the population and of course…for employees in the national healthcare system,” he told journalists after a visit to the island’s General Hospital in Thira.

“We have made the best possible preparation. I am sure that everything will go well in the end but it is also very important to show this image of security and organization to visitors who will come to Greece in the summer,” he added.

Mitsotakis then visited the Minoan Bronze Age settlement of Akrotiri, which has reopened with safety measures in place.

Tourism is a crucial for the Greek economy, accounting for some 18 percent of the country’s GDP.

This article was first published by ekathimerini.com