ATHENS — Even the lingering COVID-19 pandemic couldn’t stop people who were crazy to travel after being locked in during lockdowns that locked them out of vacations from coming to Greece, which is still struggling to control the Coronavirus.

The World Travel Awards selected Greece as the top destination for Europe in 2021, leading Tourism Minister Vassilis Kikilias – who has no experience in that field – to proclaim the country is safe despite rising cases, hospitalizations and deaths.

He said the plans are to make Greece a year-round destination to cash in during normally slow autumn and winter periods and show that the country isn’t just a summer spot with sun, sand, islands and archaeological spots.

He said that 2022 will be a big comeback year after 2020 and 2021 were hampered badly by the pandemic, reported SchengenVisaInfo.com about expectations for a banner year.

“Tourism is the locomotive of the Greek economy, something that proves again this year, in the midst of a pandemic, and brings new jobs that we aspire to be of better quality and better paid, enable through the 320 million euros of the RRF of the Ministry of Tourism for infrastructure, ports, marinas, upgrading of hotel units, for digitization, green development and a sustainable system of sustainable tourism product,” he told the site.