Greece Announces 7-Day Free Trip For Tourists Who Were Affected By The Rhodes Wildfires Last Year

Last year in July, over 25,000 tourists were evacuated from Greece after wildfires burned for days on the country’s Rhodes Island. Houses and hotels were damaged, and people were forced to leave the island. The Greek government then announced that they would compensate Rhodes tourists in 2024 and give them a “free 7-day holiday” to the island. They have kept their promise and announced that they will start the compensation process soon. They are offering free hotel vouchers, in two phases, to all the affected tourists. Read on to know more about this.

Greece Offers Free Trip To Tourists Who Escaped Rhodes Wildfires

To compensate the tourists who had to escape the deadly Rhodes wildfires in July 2023, Greece has launched a free seven-day holiday programme. The Greek government has decided to compensate thousands of tourists who had to cut short their holiday. They have offered e-vouchers that are applicable at various island resorts to these tourists as part of this programme.

The vouchers, as per reports, will be given to those tourists who were evacuated from their hotels during the fires. These individuals will be given up to €500 (₹44,500) in e-vouchers that can cover the accommodation charges of a week-long stay. Around 5,000 tourists have already signed up for this programme.

The initiative was first announced by Greece Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis in August last year. Talking about this programme now, the Greek Tourism Ministry’s General Secretary, Myron Flouris said, “It’s been a very complicated process not least, I think because we’re the first country in the world to do this.”

Also Read: Beyond Santorini, 8 Gorgeous Cities Waiting For You In Greece

Everything You Need To Know About This Initiative By The Greek Govt

As per the Greek authorities, this programme will be run in two phases. This first phase will begin now and go on till May 31; while the second phase will take place between October 1 to November 15. The e-voucher amount can range from €300 to €500 (₹26,676 – 44,500), depending on the amount the travellers originally paid to travel to Greece before the Rhodes wildfires incident. These vouchers will be valid at hotels rather than at Airbnbs and other private accommodations. Individuals can check for more information about these free trips on the Greek government’s online platform and claim their trip by providing the required documents.

It’s good to know that the Greek government has taken this step to compensate the people after last year’s disaster. What’s your take on this? Let us know in the comments.

Cover Image Courtesy: Canva