Less than two months after detecting its first infection, Montenegro is the first country in Europe to declare itself coronavirus-free, a success story the tiny country hopes will lure tourists to its dazzling Adriatic coast this summer.
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For weeks hotel staff have been raking empty beaches as the pandemic kept away visitors who would normally be arriving by plane, cruise ship and car this time of year.
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But finally, there is a sliver of hope after Montenegro announced it no longer has any active cases of COVID-19.
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Tourism operators have already seized the opportunity to brand Montenegro as "Europe's First COVID-19 Free Country" in videos promoting its stunning natural beauty, with beaches snaking along the south and rugged mountains in the north.
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 People prepare terraces in the coastal town of Kotor, in the Bay of Kotor in Montenegro.
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In picturesque Kotor, a medieval walled city nestled in a mountain-ringed bay, locals have been spared the virus entirely, with no known cases reported.
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While tour agencies are still expecting a tough season, there is hope this sterling health record will soften the blow on an industry that accounts for more than a fifth of GDP and 19 percent of the workforce.
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Gates creak open
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Montenegro's size has certainly been of aid in its fight against the virus: the country is one of the smallest in the world with only about 630,000 people.
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Over the past 10 weeks it has recorded around 300 infections and nine deaths from COVID-19.
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 A street and a port in the old town of the city of Dubrovnik, on the Adriatic coast of Croatia.
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Since May 5, there have been no new domestic cases.
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"Let me take off my mask," Prime Minister Dusko Markovic said triumphantly on Monday after health authorities announced that all active cases had been cleared.
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Borders will now open in early June, officially kicking off the holiday season.
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But arrivals will nevertheless fall far below the 2.6 million recorded last year, with forecasts of up to a 70 percent drop in tourism turnover as well.
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To prevent any backsliding on the health front, Montenegro will only allow visitors from countries that have kept coronavirus cases low at under 25 patients per 100,000 people.
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 A cyclist rides at the Porto Montenegro marina near the coastal town of Tivat.
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That means travellers from top markets such as the hard-hit UK and Russia are unlikely to make it this summer, a blow to luxury destinations like Porto Montenegro.
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While tourists from the region made up a third of visitors last year, this summer they are expected to be the core clientele.
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Camping and cars
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Up the coast, tourism powerhouse Croatia is also hoping to capitalise on its relatively low virus numbers to salvage the 2020 season.
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The Adriatic nation of 4.2 million has capped deaths at around 100 and infections at slightly over 2,000.
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With southern European competitors like Spain and Italy struck off many travel lists because of their battles with the virus, Croatia is in a position to pick up some of the share.
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Krunoslav Kapetanovic, a hotelier from Opatija, a northern coastal resort.
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Others hope socially-distanced options like boating holidays, camping, private accommodation and road travel will be a draw to travellers from nearby central European markets.
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Some 150,000 foreigners, mainly neighbouring Slovenians who own apartments on the coast, have already descended on Croatia since it relaxed restrictions in early May.
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Any visitors at all will be welcome in a country where officials predict a 70 percent drop in tourism revenues.
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