Tourists affected by Greek wildfires will get a free vacation in Rhodes

The government has decided to make it up to the visitors and reinforce the positive image of the Mediterranean country as a premier destination

Now that the wildfires that raged through the island of Rhodes last week have been put out, the Greek government has decided to offer a free week of vacation to all those visitors whose holidays were cut short by the calamity.

Yesterday, Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis himself, speaking to Britain’s ITV, explained that there is a strong intention to repair the image of the country as a desirable and reliable tourist destination. That’s why, in collaboration with the local administration of Rhodes, the authorities will offer a free vacation for those who felt they were robbed of their summer getaway due to the blazes.

Many of the affected were British tourists, who were forced to find their own way to get to the island’s airport in an attempt to escape. In many cases, this meant walking in the scorching heat for hours on end.

The Greek government, however, would like to help heal these traumatic memories since they could result in many people turning away from the Aegean destination when planning their next holiday. The affected tourists will be able to claim a free week in Rhodes, although it will be during the shoulder tourist seasons – spring or autumn.

After the fires, what’s the damage?

After the tally was drawn, it turned out that the wildfires affected 5% of the island’s territory. However, even that still resulted in the largest peace-time evacuation in Greek history, as 20,000 people had to be moved to safer places.

Some 13,500 hectares of land and vegetation were charred on Rhodes and now the experts say there needs to be work done to prevent future disasters, such as flooding or desertification.

According to the Central Union of Municipalities of Greece, it may take years for Rhodes to recover the green coverage, which was lost during the fires.