Greece Offers Free Holiday To Tourists Forced To Flee Rhodes During Wildfires

Greece will offer free holidays to tourists who had to flee the devastating fires that swept Rhodes last month.

Around 20,000 holidaymakers and locals were forced to leave the island in what Greek authorities said was the biggest evacuation operation they had ever carried out.

To make amends, and to start rehabilitating Rhodes’ image as a travel destination, Greece’s prime minister announced that free, week-long holidays will be offered to all the visitors that had to leave the island prematurely as a result of the wildfires.

However, there appears to be a small catch – the holidays will have to be taken in the spring or autumn, rather than during the high season summer months.

“For all those whose holiday was cut short as a result of wildfires, the Greek government, in cooperation with local authorities, will offer one week of free holidays on Rhodes, next spring, the next fall, so that we make sure they come back to the island and enjoy its natural beauty,” Kyriakos Mitsotakis, the prime minister, told ITV.

The fires on Rhodes led to apocalyptic scenes, with tourists fleeing, flames spreading down hillsides and great clouds of black smoke drifting over the island.

The blazes broke out on July 18 in the middle of the island and spread to the eastern and southern coast, where many beach resorts are located.

The Greek authorities have been at pains to point out that only a small part of Rhodes was affected by the fires.

They insist that the rest of the island is safe and has been operating as normal.

“We understand that [the fires] caused some inconvenience for our visitors. But I’m happy to report that Rhodes today is more welcoming than ever, the island is back to normal,” the prime minister said, noting that only 15 per cent of the island had been affected by the fires.

Greek travel agents have launched a “Rhodes is safe” campaign to reassure visitors.

Scorching heatwave

The fires were fuelled by a scorching heatwave, strong winds and bone-dry conditions.

Locals have complained that the fires were also a result of the authorities failing to manage the island’s forests properly.

At the height of the crisis last month, fires broke out in many parts of Greece, including on the popular holiday island of Corfu, and killed at least five people.

More than 120,000 acres of countryside were burned, according to the Athens Observatory.

The travel company Tui and Jet2 airline suspended passenger flights to Rhodes and flew in empty planes to evacuate tourists. Tui resumed flights to the island last week.

Greece’s heatwave was one of the most extreme that has been recorded in decades, with temperatures reaching 46C (114F).

For several days, the Acropolis and Parthenon in Athens were closed during the hottest parts of the day to ensure the health of visitors and the staff who work at the archaeological site.