Rhodes Wildfires: Safety of Tourists in Greece is a Priority, Says Tourism Minister

The safety of visitors in Greece is a priority, Greek Tourism Minister Olga Kefalogianni said on Monday.

Speaking from Rhodes, which is in its seventh day of wildfires that forced evacuations since Saturday, Kefalogianni informed UK media outlets about the management of the crisis in the tourism sector, aiming to give a clear picture of the situation on the island.

“Greece wants to send abroad a clear message of safety,” the tourism minister told Sky News, BBC News and BBC Radio, adding that the country “is able to face major crises”.

Greece on Saturday began its biggest evacuation ever with the number of people – residents and tourists – evacuated from villages and hotels reaching 19,000.

In her statements to the media, Kefalogianni highlighted that the government’s primary goal while managing the crisis was to take coordinated actions and protection measures so that not a single human life was endangered or injured.

She also underlined that the solidarity of both the people of Rhodes and volunteers was “touching”, which was reflected in the fact that from the very first moment evacuated tourists had the necessary facilities and hospitality in public spaces, so that they felt safe despite the unexpected crisis.

The Help Desk at the airport of Rhodes. Photo source: Ministry for Climate Crisis and Civil Protection

“There is no problem at Rhodes Airport and it is very important to highlight that only a small part of the island has been affected,” the minister told BBC Radio. In fact, she said reports claiming that half of the island was affected by wildfires were “inaccurate”.

Moreover, Kefalogiani referred to the impact the situation will have on tourism.

“Greek tourism has gone through many and different crises in recent years… but always managed to successfully overcome them because all involved throughout the (tourism) chain are professionals, they have experience and are serious people,” she said.

Speaking earlier to Greek TV station, SKAI, she said the immediate priority is the safe return of travelers to their homelands, while already leading tour operators are sending empty planes to Rhodes to pick up foreign visitors and fly them back to the UK.

Rhodes Airport: A TUI representative speaking with a member of the UK government’s Rapid Deployment Team that arrived on the island to support British nationals. Photo source: Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office

Kefalogianni, accompanied by Deputy Tourism Minister Elena Rapti, is on Rhodes attending meetings held at the headquarters of the Region of the South Aegean for the assessment and immediate management of the consequences caused by the wildfires.

The Greek Tourism Ministry has set up a hotline to assist tourism bodies and travel agents on Rhodes.

Moreover, the Greek Foreign Ministry opened a Help Desk at Rhodes International Airport. In cooperation with embassies in Greece, the Help Desk facilitates and coordinates the timely departure of visitors who have lost their travel documents.

Press here to access a Q&A for tourists affected by the forest fires on Rhodes.

The UK Foreign Office has updated its travel advice telling people planning to travel to Rhodes to first check with their travel operator or hotel to ascertain that the area they plan to visit has not been impacted by the current wildfires.