Last year, following the devastating wildfires that ravaged a large part of Greece , Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis offered those who were forced to evacuate one week of free holidays to Rhodes. The offer, for the spring or autumn of 2024, was given so “we make sure they come back to the island and enjoy its natural beauty,” he said. Officials said last year that it was the largest evacuation the country had ever seen, with 20,000 people, including thousands of tourists , having to flee from blazes.
Around 2.6 million people visited Rhodes last year and Greece relies heavily on tourism, which accounts for a large percentage of its GDP. New data on turnover in accommodation and catering by the Hellenic Statistical Authority (ELSTAT) has revealed widening economic inequality between tourist destinations and the rest of Greece .
Nearly a fifth of turnover, 18.3 percent, is generated in the Southern Aegean region, with Rhodes alone accounting for 6.5 percent of the country’s total.
Likewise, among the Ionian islands , turnover was a staggering 1.4 billion Euros (£1.19bn), of which half was generated on the island of Corfu alone.
By comparison, in Central Greece, an area over 5,000 times larger than the Ionian Islands combined, only reached 383 million Euros (£326m). The picturesque town of Lindos was listed by World Wild Schooling as one of the 12 places on the Greek Islands that has been overwhelmed by tourism. Once a sleepy fishing village, the cruise ships th.