ATHENS – A free week has been offered by the Greek prime minister to all those holidaymakers whose trips to Rhodes were impacted by recent wildfires.
Kyriakos Mitsotakis announced on Wednesday that for all of those whose holidays were cut short as a result of the wildfires, the Greek government will offer one week of free holidays on Rhodes.
The premier said the free week would be offered next spring and next fall so that the authorities make necessary arrangements and ensure that the visitors come back to the island and enjoy its natural beauty.
The Greek leader confirmed that the country has no active wildfires currently and the weather for the next 15 days looks relatively benign.
Mitsotakis said the country always had wildfires in the Mediterranean for millennia but hastened to add that the intensity of the wildfires has changed.
“We understand that this caused some inconvenience for visitors, but I’m happy to report that Rhodes today is more welcoming than ever,” he said.
Although the free holiday offer is believed to be a first for the travel industry, experts are still unsure how will the government develop a mechanism for verification.
For instance, 20,000 tourists were evacuated from resorts when wildfires spread on 22 July but how holidaymakers will prove they were evacuated before the completion of their holiday is still a query unanswered.
It has also not been clarified whether the airfare would be given to the holidaymakers or not. Estimates say that if such is taken into account, the cost to be borne by the government would be £5m.
The recent wildfires ravaged up to 15 percent of Rhodes and many overseas visitors were placed in emergency shelters set up in hurry. The Greek Prime Minister confirms that no human life was lost in the accident that disrupted the travel plan of many.
Rhodes tackled wildfires in July fanned by strong winds amid a prolonged and intense heatwave, compelling the initiation of repatriation flights.
While the premier announced a free week for foreigners, hundreds of Rhodes residents gathered in front of the island’s town hall on Tuesday to demand compensation for livestock breeders and farmers and the loss suffered by the local community.
The free week plan has also been criticized by the opposition party. In a statement, the need for a serious plan was stressed for prevention and treatment.
