TUI is canceling all flights and booked holidays to Rhodes up to and including July 25, Sky News reports. On the other hand, the Grecos Holiday travel agency offered people who are to start their holidays in Rhodes next Monday the possibility of canceling the reservation free of charge, changing to another available offer or a later date. The reason is the fires on the island.
British airline Jet2 also canceled all flights to Rhodes.
Tours to Rhodes have been temporarily canceled by the TUI travel agency. Grecos Holiday, on the other hand, offered the possibility of changing or canceling the reservation free of charge. The information posted on Facebook added that employees would contact travelers about this matter. “All people who are to start their holidays next Monday (July 24, 2023) will be able to cancel their reservations free of charge, change to another available offer or a later date. Employees of the Customer Service Office will contact us to arrange the details individually” – informed the Grecos Holiday office.
Fires on a Greek island
More than 30,000 people had to flee before the fire in Rhodes, which the island’s fire brigade is fighting for the sixth day. people, said local MP Panagiotis Dimelis on Sunday.
As the deputy head of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Paweł Jabłoński informed PAP on Sunday, the evacuation of Polish tourists from the part of Rhodes at risk of fires is underway; their estimated number is about 1,200 people.
The fire in Rhodes spread on Sunday morning towards the so-called tourist zone when the wind direction changed by 180 degrees. Passenger ship forwarder Blue Star offered some of the evacuated people space on its ferries.
Dimelis told Greek television Skai TV that people who had to flee the fire in Rhodes and were not evacuated from the island were placed in schools, sports clubs and conference centers.
The fire, which reached the eastern coastal towns of Kiotari, Jenadi and the resort of Lardos, engulfed many hotels.
The government in Athens has appointed a special crisis staff at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to manage the evacuation of foreign tourists.
Fighting the fires in RhodesPAP/EPA/DAMIANIDIS LEFTERIS
Poles on the island
Poles from five travel agencies are staying on the Greek island of Rhodes. Tourists from Grecos, Itaka and Rainbow offices have been evacuated or are being evacuated. Rainbow has evacuated about 200 customers, but eight people are out of contact – informed the Polish embassy in Athens on Sunday.
People evacuate the village of Kiotari during a fire on the island of RhodesPAP/EPA/DAMIANIDIS LEFTERIS
The embassy also informed that Poles staying in Rhodes can call the number +30 693 655 4629 for consular assistance.
Main photo source: PAP/EPA/DAMIANIDIS LEFTERIS