Calamity Fund officially classifies Rhodes wildfire as disaster, travelers receive reimbursement

The Calamity Fund has declared the area of Rhodes devastated by wildfires a calamity, effective Saturday. This means that the fund will reimburse the costs of travelers who are or have been in the southeastern part of the Greek island under the guarantee scheme. This includes costs such as travel adjustments, repatriation, and unused vacation days.

In particular, the fund covers incidents in the areas around Lindos, Lardos, and below Lake Gadoura. The condition is that the tour operator with which the trip is booked is affiliated with the Calamity Fund. TUI, Corendon, and Sunweb, which announced on Sunday that they will not send travelers to Rhodes in the coming days, are affiliated tour operators.

As for the repatriation of travelers to the Netherlands, the initiative lies with the tour operators. "The tour operator decides which travelers need to be repatriated. It depends on the situation. The tour operators coordinate the repatriation flights among themselves," according to the Calamity Fund.

People currently staying in northern Rhodes do not necessarily have to return "as long as the tour operator or the authorities do not deem it necessary," the fund explains. "However, should this become necessary, a new decision will be made."

Furthermore, the Calamity Fund points out that tour operators affiliated with the fund should now be aware of the consequences of wildfires. Especially for travelers who left or may leave on Saturday. "This natural disaster no longer represents an unexpected and unforeseen event that manifests itself only during the trip," the fund states. Therefore, the fund does not cover the costs of organizations that are still bringing travelers to Rhodes.