Greece Offers Free One-Week Holiday to Tourists Affected by Rhodes Wildfires

AN OFFER YOU CAN'T REFUSEGreece Offers Free One-Week Holiday to Tourists Affected by Rhodes Wildfires

In a bid to support tourists affected by the devastating wildfires on the Greek Island of Rhodes, Greece has announced a generous offer of a free week’s holiday on the island. Thousands of tourists had to be evacuated from local resorts last month due to the destructive fire.

While speaking on British TV channel, ITV, the Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis revealed that the “Greek government, in cooperation with the local authorities, will offer a week’s free holiday in Rhodes next spring or autumn” to those who had to shorten their visit because of the wildfires. The Prime Minister acknowledged that “large fires have always occurred in the Mediterranean,” but “what has changed in recent years due to climate change is their scale.”

“We had a devastating fire on Rhodes, but today the island is back to normal and there is no active front,” the PM added.

Mitsotakis also emphasized that during the fire, no lives were lost, and there were no reports of injuries. The evacuation process was carried out with exceptional safety measures, allowing around 20,000 people to be successfully evacuated. The Greek government’s swift response and effective evacuation efforts helped minimize potential human casualties.

*Thousands of residents and tourists were evacuated from their homes and hotels while firefighters battled wildfires on Greek Island of Rhodes. | Credit: rhodes.rodos*

Regarding the readiness to welcome British tourists, Mitsotakis said: What I can tell you and what was also seen on Rhodes is that we are much better prepared for such events. For the last 3 years, the emergency number ‘112’ has been operating in Greece – something that does not exist in the United Kingdom.” The emergency number “112” facilitates quick responses to emergencies in Greece.

To boost tourism on Rhodes, the Greek Ministry of Tourism and the Greek National Tourism Organization (GNTO) have launched various promotional initiatives. These include:

Arranging trips for journalists and opinion makers from key markets like Great Britain, Germany, France, Poland, the Low Countries (Benelux), and Italy, to provide testimonials about the island’s safety and attractiveness.
Advertising campaigns with major tour operators and airlines have been reintroduced to attract tourists.
Efforts to promote the destination’s image are ongoing in 18 countries abroad, with a specific focus on off-season travel to Greece.
The government is actively exchanging information among GNTO, its branches abroad, the North Aegean Region, local agencies, and private businesses to effectively promote Rhodes internationally.
Long-term plans are being developed to improve the island’s climate conditions and promote a sustainable model that could be applied to other regions in the Mediterranean.