Wildfires Greece: Scottish politicians call for Rhodes to be added to UK Government ‘red list’ to protect consumers

If Rhodes was added to the UK Government’s “red list”, consumers would find it easier to be reimbursed for flights not taken

Scottish politicians and consumer groups have called for an immediate addition of Rhodes to the ‘red list’ of places the Foreign Office advises against all but essential travel, to allow holidaymakers easier access to refunds and compensation.

The Government is yet to temporarily designate Rhodes as a red list country, making it harder for thousands of tourists looking to get a refund for their trips to Rhodes under their travel insurance.

Corfu residents also faced evacuation this morning as widlfires broke out there.

TOPSHOT - A burnt car in a charred area after a fire near the village of Kiotari, on the Greek island of Rhodes. Tens of thousands of people have already fled blazes on the island of Rhodes, with many frightened tourists scrambling to get home.

Foreign Office minister Andrew Mitchell said in an interview on Monday he would not fly out to Rhodes at this time.

The travel advice from the Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) for Greece states only “extreme temperatures are affecting many areas of Greece and there are a number of active wildfires”.

It adds: “If you are a British national affected by wildfires, please follow the guidance from the emergency services.”

Countries and regions can be temporarily added to the red list, which tells British citizens not to travel there unless absolutely necessary, if a situation is deemed to be serious or dangerous. Without the listing, travel insurance firms are unlikely to pay up if a tourist opts not to travel.

In Rhodes, tourists have told of having to sleep on the floor of school halls as hotels near the fire-hit areas were evacuated.

Consumers faced similar problems at the beginning of the Covid pandemic – before it was formally declared to be a pandemic – as flights and holidays were still going ahead, despite fears over infection from the virus and stories of hotel lockdowns abroad.

Liberal Democrat foreign affairs spokesperson Layla Moran said: “As wildfires blaze and thousands are evacuated, it is staggering that the Foreign Office travel guidance for Rhodes does not advise against all but essential travel.

“Thanks to Conservative ministers’ inaction, many families are unable to make a claim against their insurance, leaving them paying the penalty for deciding not to fly out to the island. The Government urgently needs to get a grip and help holiday makers who have been impacted by these terrible scenes.”

Rory Boland, editor of Which? Travel, said without an FCDO warning, travellers who do not want to go but are refused flexibility to rebook may be unable to claim on their travel insurance

He said more tourists arriving would be “disruptive to local authorities” managing the situation.

He added: “While it is positive to see some airlines and tour operators making the sensible decision to offer customers refunds or the opportunity to rebook free of charge, no holidaymaker should be forced to choose between losing their money and travelling into a natural disaster zone. It would be indefensible for holiday companies to cash in on travellers who sensibly decide not to travel, and more airlines and holiday companies must show flexibility.”

Prime minister Rishi Sunak defended the government's actions.

"The current situation is impacting on a limited area in Rhodes and whilst it's right to keep it under review and it's possible that the advice may change, we do not want to act out of proportion to the situation on the ground," he said.