Greece wildfires: What to do if holiday affected, according to experts

It’s been a scorching summer so far in parts of Europe, and with it has come an outbreak of wildfires – and warnings of more.

Mainland Greece, some Greek islands, Turkey, France and the Balkans have all been affected in recent weeks. This has come alongside a heatwave – with 50.5C recorded in Silopi, Turkey in late July, and 44C in both Athens and Cyprus.

So what should you do if you have a holiday booked for one of these destinations?

Crucially, the Foreign Office says it’s safe to travel to all of them – for now.

But if you’re worried your holiday might still be subject to delays or cancellations – or you’re thinking of cancelling it yourself – BBC News has spoken to a range of experts to look at where you stand.

If you’re concerned your planned getaway may be prone to wildfires and you no longer want to go – say because a wildfire has happened near your resort, even if it hasn’t directly damaged it – you may have options.

Some travel insurance providers do allow you to buy additional coverage in the event of natural catastrophes like wildfires, should they occur near your holiday destination – such as within a 20km radius.

But if you have not paid for this additional cover and decided that you no longer want to travel, or wish to come home early, and the Foreign Office says it is safe to travel, then you likely won’t be able to claim for the costs of cancellation via insurance.

“There needs to be reasonable evidence as to why you can’t go [or need to leave],” explains Rhys Jones. “I think uneasiness or unhappiness about the country [isn’t enough].”

During the Rhodes wildfires in 2023, Jet2 and Tui cancelled a raft of flights but Ryanair, easyJet and British Airways largely continued running. Some airlines cancelled their package holidays, but not their flights.

In this case – and with any similar situations this summer – the usual advice is to chat to your airline and hotel, as applicable, because bespoke solutions may be offered for your circumstances.

According to European Commission data, there has been a 13% increase since last week in the total area burnt by wildfires, with more than 290,000 hectacres burnt so far this year in Europe – more than double the figure at the same time last year.

If you have travel insurance then most disruption to your trip caused by wildfires should be covered under your standard policy, says Rhys Jones, a travel insurance specialist at GoCompare.

“Any sort of curtailment or cancellation of your trip as as a result of wildfires – whether that be you can’t travel to your destination or you have to come home early – should be covered.”

Costs imposed due to other emergency measures such as evacuation, relocation or medical expenses should also be included, he adds. In Crete early last month, 5,000 people, many tourists, were temporarily evacuated during wildfires.

Under a standard policy, Mr Jones says there usually needs to be official advice not to travel from the Foreign Office or another authority, to make a successful insurance claim for a cancellation.

But some travel insurance providers will cover you if you decide against embarking on your trip before the Foreign Office issues such advice, explains Jo Rhodes, a travel specialist at Which?

“For example, if travel has been disrupted or the specific area you’re staying in is being affected, the best thing to do is to contact the insurer to check where you stand – and make sure you do this before cancelling any bookings.”

Around one in four Britons who went on an overseas holiday in the last 12 months did so without travel insurance, according to research published by The Travel Association (ABTA), in May.

“If you have no insurance but your holiday provider or airline has cancelled bookings, you may still be eligible for a refund from these companies,” Jo Rhodes says.

Holidaymakers often look out for package holidays which are Air Travel Organisers’ Licensing (Atol) protected – but this is not a form of travel insurance.

​​The Atol scheme only protects you if the company providing your holiday goes bust. They will help you get home if you’re already aboard a flight, or make a claim for a refund if you are yet to travel.

​​The scheme does not allow you to claim compensation for a cancelled trip or flight, or delays, caused by wildfires.

You’re covered by UK law if you’re departing from a UK airport on any airline, or arriving in the EU on a UK airline, the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) says.

This means airlines must provide you with care and assistance if your flight is delayed by two or three hours depending on the distance – including supplying food and drink vouchers and a refund on phone call costs, if necessary.

And, the CAA explains, if your flight is cancelled and rescheduled to another day, your airline must provide accommodation and transport to it.

However, you’re unlikely to get compensation for wildfire or extreme heat-related disruption, because that would probably be considered an “extraordinary circumstance” so would not be classed as the airline’s fault.

If you’re delayed by more than five hours and you no longer wish to travel, you may be able to get a refund from your airline though, according to the CAA.

The body makes clear that if your flight is cancelled, you might have to wait a while but your airline is required to get you to your destination.