UK Media Applauds Greece for Free Rhodes Holidays via ‘Rodos Week’ Initiative
Leading media in the United Kingdom have applauded Greece for recently launching the ‘Rodos Week’ platform, an initiative that offers travelers who were forced to flee Rhodes in July 2023 (due to the wildfires) free accommodation on the island this year.
The platform opened on April 10 and covers the cost of six overnight stays on Rhodes in spring or autumn for those eligibile.
According to reports in British media, including Independent, Sun, BBC, Mirror, Guardian, Daily Star, Daily Mail, Mail Online, already some 5,000 people have registered to apply for a voucher up to 500 euros.
Articles in the UK media highlight that the decision is the first of its kind in the world and proves the great interest in holidays in Rhodes and Greece, while demand is expected to increase in the coming months.
“The scheme was concocted by Greece’s Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis in conjunction with the country’s tourism ministry and hoteliers on Rhodes,” says the Daily Mail.
“Greece is heavily dependent on tourism, and the prime minister was keen to get ahead of the problem and persuade holidaymakers that they would be able to return without a care,” writes the Independent. In addition, the article informs readers about the Greek government’s website where travelers can submit their applications for ‘Rodos Week’.
“The scheme is up and running as the prime minister promised,” Greek Tourism Ministry Secretary General Myron Flouris told the Guardian, adding that Greece is “the first country in the world” to carry out such an initiative
The Mirror informs its readers: “Tourists who were registered on the evacuation lists are being offered an e-voucher to put towards a stay in a hotel of a similar category as that they stayed in during the fires.”
In line with the above, the BBC highlights the fact that holidaymakers who were evacuated from Rhodes “will be offered vouchers for money off hotel stays”.
According to the Mail Online, Greek hotels “expect the uptake to increase towards the autumn as Brits look to enjoy sunny getaways later this year”.
The Greek Tourism Ministry’s program covers the cost of six overnight visits on the island in the spring, from April 10 to May 31, 2024, and in the fall, from October 10 to November 15, 2024, for individuals who match the eligibility requirements.
All travelers who had to evacuate from Rhodes hotels after the fire broke out last summer can enter the program. Eligible individuals will be allowed to select free accommodations in hotels of the same category and room class.
Eligible parties can apply here.