The Greek government is launching a compensation system for tourists whose vacations were cut short last summer. In July 2023, a major fire ravaged the island of Rhodes, which was experiencing an extreme heatwave during this period.
The Greek government's compensation program provides online vouchers for tourists who stayed in hotels evacuated due to the fires, worth up to 500 euros to cover the accommodation costs of a week's stay. To access the vouchers online, eligible people will need to contact the Greek government directly, even if they have used tour operators such as Jet2, TUI or Thomas Cook. In fact, 5,000 people of the 25,000 eligible people have already come forward. The compensation program will take place in two phases: the first will takeplace between now and May 31, the second from October 1 to November 15. These vouchers will only be valid for hotels and not for Airbnb type accommodation. Nearly 30,000 tourists were brought to safety in gymnasiums or schools. Most were then repatriated by boat or plane.