by Donald Wood
Last updated: 10:10 AM ET, Tue April 16, 2024
As a result of the devastating fires on the island of Rhodes
in 2023, the Greek
government announced it would offer free hotel accommodations to impacted travelers.
According to The
Guardian, the country’s Ministry of Tourism revealed that travelers who
were forced to evacuate from their hotels during the Rhodes wildfires in July
2023 will be eligible to apply for a free hotel stay that lasts seven days and six
nights.
To be eligible, tourists must book their stay at a
participating hotel between now and May 31 or October 1 and November 15.
Impacted travelers will apply online using information on where they stayed
during last year’s fires.
“The scheme is up and running as the prime minister promised,”
the Greek Tourism Ministry’s General Secretary, Myron Flouris, said. “It’s been
a very complicated process not least, I think, because we’re the first country
in the world to do this.”
Once approved, they will receive a stay similar to the category
and room type they originally purchased. The Greek government will then issue compensation
in the form of an e-voucher, ranging between €300-€500 per stay ($318-$531).
The Greek government implemented a new
tax on tourists in January to take advantage of what is expected to be
record crowds in 2024 and to help pay for the forest fires and flooding from
last year. According to Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, the
government hopes to use the tax increase to help fund recovery efforts.
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