Greece offers hotel vouchers to wildfire evacuees
- Published
Almost 20,000 people had to flee their homes on the Greek island of Rhodes last year
Holidaymakers who were evacuated from Rhodes last year due to wildfires will be offered vouchers for money off hotel stays, the Greek government has said.
The Rodos Week scheme, external is for holidaymakers who were evacuated from hotels in July 2023, but will not cover those who stayed in AirBnBs.
The vouchers will be worth up to €500 (£430) and the stay must be for seven nights.
Thousands of UK holidaymakers were flown home due to the fires last year.
Holidaymakers are being offered vouchers for two periods: in the spring between 10 April and 31 May, and in the autumn between 1 October and 15 November.
The value of the vouchers offered will depend on the original booking that was cut short.
For example, if people were staying in a three-star hotel in up to a triple room they would get vouchers worth €300.
Holidaymakers will have to book for at least seven nights, with six of them consecutive.
The Greek Ministry of Tourism has been putting together a list of affected holidaymakers using data provided by hotels in Greece and tour operators.
Those who are on the list should already have been sent an email to complete their registration.
If affected holidaymakers have not been contacted, they will be able to apply for vouchers.
The deadline for applications for vouchers for the spring has already passed, but it will be possible to make an application for the autumn.
Last summer, a heatwave in Greece saw temperatures exceed 40C (104F) across the country.
Fires, fanned by strong winds, raged on Rhodes, and also affected Corfu.
At the time, Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said there was "no magic defence" considering "what the entire planet is facing, especially the Mediterranean, which is a hotspot for climate change".
According to the United Nations, July 2023 was the hottest month ever recorded.
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