Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis has announced a unique plan to support tourists whose holidays were disrupted by wildfires on the island of Rhodes. He stated that the Greek government, in cooperation with local authorities, will offer one week of free holidays on Rhodes next spring or fall for those whose vacations were cut short due to the devastating wildfires.

In July, severe wildfires and heatwaves forced the evacuation of more than 19,000 tourists from Rhodes, affecting other regions in Greece as well. The island of Corfu also had to evacuate travellers, and even the iconic Acropolis in Athens had to close its doors to visitors as temperatures soared to 44 degrees Celsius (111.2 Fahrenheit).

The Greek Tourism Ministry has been optimistic in a recent press release, stating that life is returning to normal on the island of Rhodes, including the areas that were affected by the wildfires. They expressed excitement in welcoming tourists back to Rhodes and assured travellers that the operational state of emergency on the island has expired.

Greece heavily relies on tourism, with the travel sector contributing 18.5% to the national GDP, according to the World Travel & Tourism Council. Offering free holidays to those affected by the wildfires aims to encourage them to return to Rhodes and support the island’s tourism industry.

Prime Minister Mitsotakis did not provide further details on how the plan would be implemented, but it shows the Greek government’s commitment to supporting the recovery of the tourism sector and ensuring that tourists feel confident in visiting Rhodes again in the future.