Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis announced that Greece will provide a week of free holidays in Rhodes to tourists who had to cut short their stays on the island due to the recent forest fires. They will have the option to choose the week in either spring or autumn.
Prime Minister Mitsotakis stated, “All those whose vacations were disrupted by the forest fires will be offered one week of complimentary holiday in Rhodes next spring and next autumn by the Greek government in collaboration with local authorities. This will allow them to return to the island and experience its beauty.”
Travel agencies contacted by the news agency are not yet aware of the planned initiative. However, they have their own compensation policies in place. Fischer Jan Bezděk and Exim Tours Petr Kostka travel agencies will refund clients the entire or a proportionate part of the tour price, depending on when they had to leave the island. Additionally, customers will receive a 50% discount on their next summer holiday, regardless of the destination or dates.
While less than 50 square kilometers of Rhodes, which accounts for only five percent of the island, were affected by the devastating fire, Greek authorities reported that the flames had scorched 200 square kilometers.
Presently, there are no active forest fires on the island, and the weather forecast for the next 15 days appears to be relatively favorable, according to the prime minister. However, meteorologists predict temperatures to return to 40 degrees Celsius in the second part of the week in Greece, with August expected to be above average in terms of temperatures.
The recent widespread fires in Rhodes resulted in the evacuation of 25,000 people, including both locals and tourists. Many of the evacuated tourists are now attempting to retrieve their belongings and documents left behind during their hasty departure from the island.
