Thousands of British travellers landed in Rhodes expecting a holiday of sun, sea and relaxation in the warmth of one of Greece’s most popular tourist islands. Instead they found themselves evacuated from five-star hotels and sleeping in school halls as firefighters battled with raging wildfires.
The Guardian’s Rachel Hall reports from Rhodes, where tourists are finding their way on to return flights and local residents and business owners are beginning the long and costly journey to recovery. Many are bemoaning what they describe as a slow response from the Greek authorities as volunteers step in to plug the gaps.
The Greek prime minister, Kyriakos Mitsotakis, said this week the Mediterranean was now a ‘hotspot for climate change’. As tourists board repatriation flights, many expressed gratitude to the local people who had rushed to their aid, and vowed to return. But with extreme heat now a fact of life in Rhodes, what does it mean for an island reliant on tourism?
Photograph: Anadolu Agency/Getty Images
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