- Greece’s tourism industry is facing difficulties due to a severe heatwave.
- Thousands of tourists and residents had to evacuate from a popular Greek island because of wildfires.
- The heatwave is also causing disruptions in air travel.
Greece is currently experiencing a dangerous and prolonged heatwave, which is taking a toll on its crucial tourism industry. The popular island of Rhodes has been hit by wildfires, leading to the evacuation of nearly 19,000 people, including many tourists staying in affected hotels, as reported by CNN.
Tourists had to leave their accommodations on foot with minimal belongings, while the Greek government organized both land and sea travel for their escape. This sudden evacuation has resulted in many people being stranded at travel hubs, awaiting flights out of the country.
“It was literally like the end of the world,” said British tourist Ian Murison in an interview with Sky News. The Rhodes fires have posed significant challenges for the Hellenic Fire Corps, as mentioned in a statement to the BBC.
Will Vassilopoulos/AFP via Getty Images
Mainland Greece is also affected by the extreme heat, leading to the closure of famous tourist sites during peak hours to protect both workers and visitors. Workers at the Acropolis have gone on strike, demanding the site to close after 12 PM due to dangerously high temperatures reaching 118 degrees. According to a union representative interviewed by The New York Times, 20-25 visitors were fainting daily due to the heat. The situation will be reassessed on July 24.
Meteorologists forecast central Greece to reach temperatures of 113 degrees this weekend, resulting in early closures of sites like the Acropolis, as reported by The Guardian.
The heatwave also poses challenges for air travel. High temperatures can make it more difficult for planes to take off, requiring a decrease in total weight and longer runway usage, as mentioned in a CNN article. Ten major Greek airports, which have shorter runways, have experienced heat-related impacts in recent years, according to research from Cranfield University.
Greece heavily relies on its tourism industry, which contributes to 25% of its annual GDP. Rhodes, as one of the country’s most popular islands, attracts a significant number of tourists. In fact, it set a record high for tourist traffic last year, as stated in an article by Rhodes Guide.
The heatwave this weekend is expected to reach a 50-year high in Greece and is predicted to last for several more days. According to researchers from the Athens National Observatory, this heatwave may set a new record length of 16 or 17 days, as mentioned in The Guardian.
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