Tour operator issues update after suspending holidays to Rhodes fire hit resorts

26 July 2023 , 18:35

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Wildfires have been raging for days across the Greek island of Rhodes (Image: Phil Harris)

A major tour operator has issued an update after it suspended holidays to its fire hit resorts in Rhodes.

Recent weeks have seen horrific images of the devastating wildfires sweeping across southern parts of the Greek island.

It has left residents watching the lives and livelihoods going up in flames as holidaymakers have been forced to desperately flee. Whilst a number of flight operators and holiday companies haven’t offered tourists any extra help, a couple have.

TUI and EasyJet have extended repatriation flights, full refunds and other aid to travellers suddenly caught facing the terrifying blaze. This evening TUI issued an update after yesterday it suspended all outbound flights to Rhodes up to and included Friday 28, JUly.

It also made the option for holidaymakers to suspend, or cancel with a full refund holidays to fire hit resorts on the southern parts of the island Rhodes until August 11.

New superyacht virtually invisible with mirrored glass to reflect sky and clouds

Firefighters battled the blaze in Vati, on Rhodes (Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)

A TUI UK&I spokesperson said: "Our teams in Rhodes have been working tirelessly to support customers impacted by the wildfires in south-eastern parts of the island. We’ve brought hundreds of people home and hundreds more will be travelling back to the UK on flights today.

"We appreciate how distressing and difficult it’s been for those who had to evacuate their hotels and curtail their holidays. And we also understand those due to travel to Rhodes may be concerned about how their holidays could be affected. We’re continuing to monitor the situation and have made some changes to our holiday programme in the coming days. We’d like to reassure customers their health and safety is our top priority and re-iterate that we are constantly reviewing the situation and will provide any new updates as soon as we are able.

A helicopter aids the emergency response over the village of Gennadi, in south Rhodes (Phil Harris)

"Scheduled return flights from Rhodes to the UK – will continue to operate as planned. Up to and including Friday 28th July – no outbound flights will operate to Rhodes - all flight-only customers due to travel on these flights will receive full refunds, and package holiday customers will have the option to amend their booking or cancel with a full refund. Refunds will be processed within 14 days of the booking being cancelled.

"Saturday 29th and Sunday 30th July – our holiday programme to the North of Rhodes, where hotels and resorts are fully operational, will resume. Any customers who would prefer to amend to another available holiday can do so or they can cancel with a full refund.

"Up to and including Friday 11th August – Whilst a number of hotels in the South of the island are open, TUI is offering customers travelling on a package holiday to a hotel in the south of the island the option to rebook or amend their holiday, or cancel with a full refund. Our teams will be contacting these customers to discuss their preferred options, including anyone who’s booked on a non-TUI flight."

Whilst the holiday group is offering the option of a refund, a number of others aren’t, leaving Brits fleeing the flames out of pocket.

That combined with the fact the Foreign Office is yet to advise against travel to Rhodes so far has left some claiming they have been left without any serious help.

The wildfires were triggered by persistent extreme heat sweeping across southern Europe. Greece found itself in the grips of a third successive heatwave, leading to the outbreaks. Yesterday, a firefighting plane tragically crashed, leading to the deaths of the two pilots on board.

Kieren Williams