Greece Offers One Week of Free Vacations for Rhodes Wildfires-Evacuated Tourists
Greek authorities have announced that those who were evacuated due to wildfires in Rhodes are welcome to spend a free-of-charge one-week vacation in the upcoming seasons in an effort to compensate those affected by the situation.
Authorities are offering a free trip to tourists whose holidays were shortened by wildfires, as parts of the island were damaged last month, leading to more than 20,000 people being evacuated, SchengenVisaInfo.com reports.
“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,” Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said.
Details about the deal are yet to be known, and it isn’t certain whether flights will be included in the peak summer season or not.
The prime minister also added that fires weren’t common for the region, and climate changes are impacting and increasing their intensity. The country is a popular tourist destination, especially during summer. Last year, around 2.6 million visited Rhodes, helping the Greek tourism industry, which represents around a quarter of the country’s GDP.
According to officials and tourism representatives, the South Aegean island of Rhodes is now ready to receive tourists, and life is returning to normal on the island.
“Rhodes is back! We are pleased to announce that the operational state of emergency has expired on the island of Rhodes,” the Greek Tourism Ministry said in a statement.
The Hotel Association of Rhodes has also revealed that the region is now fully operational and ready to welcome thousands of tourists daily, hoping that accommodation spots will be reopened fully in the upcoming days.
During the same period when wildfires were threatening Greece, the Italian southern region of Sicily was also dealing with deadly blazes that resulted in three casualties. Reports of wildfires were evident in several other countries last month, such as France, Portugal, Croatia, and Montenegro, while Tunisia and Algeria – the two Mediterranean countries recorded around 40 victims and were forced to shut their borders.
In order to order to protect themselves from unexpected expenses, travellers are advised to purchase travel insurance, which protects travellers from natural disasters such as wildfires, in addition to medical emergencies, cancellations, or lost items.
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