Agency's sales chief shares first-hand account of Rhodes evacuation
Will PayneDesigner Travel’s head of commercial and sales has shared his first-hand account of how he and his family were evacuated from their resort in Pefkos at the weekend as wildfires raged on Rhodes.
Video credit: Darren Bien / Designer Travel
Darren Bien and his family were evacuated from their accommodation in Pefkos on Saturday (22 July) and taken to a school in the north of the island alongside other holidaymakers.
In a video update, Bien praised the Greek government’s response to the situation, explaining how guests received text updates, as well as support from locals. "To say the residents have been amazing would be an understatement," Bien said. "They delivered food, water and anything tourists needed, which they didn’t need to do."
Bien visited surrounding areas and reported minimal damage to local infrastructure. "There has been some damage further down the island, and I have seen some of the smoke, but it’s nowhere near what it was like two days ago with big plumes on the beach."
Bien’s report of the areas was echoed by Sunvil managing director Chris Wright, who assured the air in Corfu – another area impacted by wildfires – was "clean and fresh" on Monday morning (24 July).
Several of Britain’s biggest holiday companies, including Jet2, easyJet and Tui, were plunged into crisis relief action over the weekend after thousands of British tourists were forced to flee the wildfires.
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Place of registration: England and Wales.
Company number 08723341.
Registered address: 6th Floor, 2 London Wall Place, London EC2Y 5AU
