Travel companies still selling holidays to Rhodes while tourists get evacuated

Exclusive: Welcome back to fire-hit island? Tui is still offering holidays departing this Saturday

People have been evacuated from hotels in Rhodes as fires sweep through parts of the Greek island (Ian Murison/AP) (AP)

UK travel companies are still selling holidays for Rhodes – even as the repatriation of distressed holidaymakers continues amid raging wildfires.

Leading tour operator Tui has cancelled all outbound departures to the Greek island up to Friday 28 July, and is allowing passengers due to travel over the weekend, on 29-30 July, to cancel for a full refund.

But it is also still selling holidays to parts of Rhodes that are unaffected by the wildfires.

“You’ll be spoilt for choice at Rodos Palace Hotel & Garden Suites, with five pools and five restaurants at your fingertips,” the Tui website promises.

“The Garden Suites give a home away from home feeling – that is if your house is set between Mediterranean greenery, just a stone’s throw from the beach.”

Travellers yearning for a short-notice escape to a Greek island may be tempted by a late deal of just £695 per person, based on a family of four and flying from Bristol airport on Saturday 29 July.

The Rodos Palace is on the strip of hotels between the island’s airport and Rhodes Town. This is on the northwest shore, and away from the wildfires in the centre and southeast of the island.

A much cheaper package is available the following day with easyJet Holidays. The package-holiday arm of Britain’s biggest budget airline is selling a week in Falaraki, staying at a self-catering property in Kremasti, close to the airport, for just £347 per person – including flights from London Gatwick on 30 July.

Jet2, which has cancelled all holidays to Rhodes up to Sunday 30 July, is selling holidays for the following day at low prices: £386 per person for departure from Manchester on Monday 31 July, staying near the airport in Lalyssos at the Barbie Apartments.

Meanwhile, online travel agent Loveholidays appears to be selling holidays to Rhodes departing this Thursday from £881 per person.

The Liberal Democrats have urged the government to advise British nationals against all but essential travel to Rhodes. The party’s 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.”

All prices were researched at 10am on Tuesday 25 July and are per person for a family of four