Summer Manifesto: What must we learn from the Rhodes bushfire crisis?

The term “Mediterranean island resort” took on new meaning this week as wildfires swept Rhode Islandcausing the evacuation of thousands of tourists.

Package holidays to the Greek islands are set to resume this weekend, but with the risk of fire also high elsewhere in Greece and the Mediterranean, would-be holidaymakers are increasingly concerned about their rights.

Greek authorities, holiday companies and the UK Ministry of Foreign Affairs There are also difficult questions about how to respond to emergencies.

The seven-point plan says the industry, holidaymakers and governments need to make urgent changes to cope with a rise in extreme weather and other dangers.

Destination Selection

British tourists must reassess their travel preferences. Extreme heat appears to be becoming a feature of some Mediterranean countries, particularly in July and August.

If temperatures continue to rise, then travelers should ask themselves whether a destination further north might be more appropriate and less damaging to the environment. Repeating their usual routines summer after summer may not be the right answer.

British seaside resorts, nearby overseas countries such as Ireland, Belgium and the Netherlands, and Poland’s Baltic coast are unlikely to see temperatures above 40C.

Curiously, weather-informed choices have been happening in the opposite direction. It is well known that British holidaymakers react well to a wet British summer. If it rains continuously from June to September, travel agents know that overseas holiday bookings will be high for the following summer.

Early stage risk assessment

Tragedy inevitably accompanies mass tourism. But the risks can be minimised. Future holidaymakers should research potential dangers for themselves. Road accidents and drowning are the leading causes of death for British tourists abroad, but the threats posed by wildfires, natural disasters and terrorism must also be considered.

Travel companies must be upfront and transparent about risks at the time of booking – whether climate, geological or political – and explain how they manage those dangers.

Watch Presentation

Accounts from holidaymakers caught up in the Rhodes wildfire repeatedly show that they ignored the threat posed by nearby wildfires until it was too late.

When newlyweds are put on buses upon arrival at the airport and taken straight to a school-turned-crisis center, where they sleep on the floor for several nights, as happened in Rhodes, something is seriously wrong.

Local authorities should be proactive rather than reactive in identifying potential risks. Greek emergency authorities performed heroically this week, but could the “evacuate” button have been pushed sooner?

Although tourism is often the sole economic function of many holiday destinations, hoping bad news goes away is not a viable strategy.

Travel companies also need to keep an eye out: traditional holiday reps are expected to fulfil this responsibility and report to head office as soon as smoke starts to appear over a resort.

Evacuation Plan

Holidaymakers flying to Europe’s southernmost tip were given a detailed guide to emergency escape. Yet when they faced a real emergency in their hotels in parts of Rhodes, they appeared to have had little planning or forethought.

In areas susceptible to wildfires, earthquakes and other natural disasters, hotel guests should be informed of emergency evacuation plans. It also helps to have a plan in place, even if it’s just: “Go to the beach — and leave your luggage there.”

Cancel culture

The Rhodes crisis quickly spread to British politics, with opposition politicians urging the government to put Rhodes on a “no-go” list so that tourists who have booked trips to the island can cancel their trips without penalty.

Layla Moran, the Liberal Democrat foreign affairs spokeswoman, said: “With wildfires raging and thousands of people forced to evacuate, it is shocking that the Foreign Office travel guidance for Lodz does not advise people against non-essential travel.”

Families who book their holidays in late July are choosing to travel when summer temperatures are at their highest. If a holiday company can provide a safe and enjoyable holiday, there is no reason to cancel. Although it may sound harsh, a holiday company can fairly respond: you want a hot and sunny holiday, and we will provide the experience you booked.

diplomatic

During the pandemic, the Foreign Office destroyed its hard-earned reputation for reliable travel advice by choosing to align its threat assessments with the government’s now discredited “traffic light” approach to Covid risk. Peaceful Portugal was once rated at the same risk level as parts of Somalia and the Afghan capital, Kabul.

Given this official silliness, it’s no surprise that tourists who had already booked a trip to Rhodes, while they were hesitating, grabbed the government’s get-out-of-jail-free card that designated the island as “no-go” so they could cancel their trip and get a full refund.

The Foreign Office should ignore all calls – whether from Number 10 or political opponents – to act as a provider of festive sick notes and return to the basics of risk assessment.

No blame investigation

One of the reasons the aviation industry has achieved amazing levels of safety is by transparently learning from previous tragedies. We need a forum to investigate mass holiday traumas and learn lessons rather than blame each other. Travel is a pleasure and needs to be protected – and so do the lives of travellers.