Greece fires – live: Nine European nations battle blazes as Met Office warns UK could be next
More than 40 people have been killed in Europe as wildfires engulfed more swaths of land on Wednesday, destroying homes and livelihoods and threatening nature reserves amid one of the fiercest heatwaves ever.
Thousands of firefighters worked to contain the blazes in parts of Greece and eight other Mediterranean countries, and the entire island of Rhodes was put into a state of emergency for six months.
High temperatures and winds have created a “perfect storm” to allow the fires to spread in Portugal, Turkey, Italy, France, Croatia and Spain.
Temperatures are expected to peak on Wednesday, exceeding 44C in some areas of Greece.
A blaze in Rhodes prompted “the biggest evacuation” in Greek history, with more than 20,000 people forced to flee homes and hotels over the weekend, while around 2,500 people have already been evacuated from Corfu.
Meanwhile, in its annual State of the UK Climate report, the Met Office warned temperatures higher than 40C, summer droughts, grassfires and downpours will increase in both frequency and severity.
Key Points
At least 48 hours more of wildfire hell, Greek PM warns
UK Met Office warns temperature higher than 40C will be frequent in future
UK advises people visiting Greece to carry ‘appropriate insurance’
Firefighters scramble to put out wildfire in Portugal
Plane fighting wildfires in Greece has crashed
Around 2,500 people evacuated from Corfu
Almost 100 firefighters tackle wildfire in Croatia
Nine countries burn across Europe and North Africa
Wednesday 26 July 2023 12:25 , Jane Dalton
Wildfires are burning in at least nine countries across southern Europe and North Africa, with thousands of firefighters working to contain the blazes.
At least seven people have been killed in Italy as it battled both extreme heat and violent storms. In the north, Milan residents reported torrential rain and hail with a 16-year-old girl killed after a tree fell on her tent. Meanwhile in the south, the heatwave reached 47.6C with three people found dead in Sicily.
In Greece, authorities have evacuated more than 20,000 from homes and resorts in Rhodes, while 2,500 have been evacuated in Corfu. Two pilots died when their plane crashed into the hillside in Evia, while the Greek prime minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said the country was “at war” with fire.
Nearly 100 firefighters have worked to contain a wildfire close to Nice airport in France, while 300 firefighters battled fires near the city of Arles.
Local media reported that winds were so strong in Croatia that firefighting aircraft could not take off, while wildfires have been reported in the south of the country.
Fires in Spain continue to pose a problem following two weeks of extreme hear, with a blaze in Gran Canaria reaching just metres from an air traffic antannae and prompting the evacuation of hundreds.
Wind has also caused issues in Portugal as firefighters tackle a large blaze near the tourist hotspot of Cascais, with water-bombing planes used to reduce the spread.
Meanwhile in North Africa, at least 34 people have been killed in Algeria, with fires burning in a total of 15 provinces and 1,500 people evacuated from their homes. Among those killed were 10 soldiers who became trapped by flames.
Strong winds have resulted in fires spreading to neighbouring Tunisia, with two border crossings closed in an attempt to contain the blaze.
When will heatwave in Europe end?
05:12 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar
Southern European countries suffering from a sizzling heatwave for weeks can finally hope for some respite as a new forecast reveals “subtle changes in the jet stream” that are expected to bring temperatures down.
With shattered temperature records, devastating wildfires in Greece and tragic loss of lives, people have been anxiously awaiting relief from intense heat conditions that gripped Europe this month.
The latest forecast from the UK’s Met Office offers a glimmer of hope as conditions are projected to shift slightly, indicating the weakening of the heat dome that enveloped the southern part of the continent.
Stuti Mishra reports.
When will heatwave in Europe end? New forecast shows relief in sight
The nine affected countries mapped
04:40 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar
Wildfires continue to burn across at least nine countries in Europe and North Africa, forcing mass evacuations as firefighters battle on in tinderbox conditions.
Greece, France, Portugal, Spain, Gran Canaria, Italy, Croatia, and Turkey have seen raging fires this week as extreme heat billows over the countries.
The Greek Fire Brigade has already been battling more than 500 fires for almost two weeks, while the high temperatures of the recent new heatwave are set to exceed 44C in some areas of Greece.
Maryam Zakir-Hussain has more.
Where are the wildfires? The nine affected European countries mapped
UK Met Office warns temperature higher than 40C will be frequent in future
04:21 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar
In its annual State of the UK Climate report, the Met Office analysed the weather of 2022 and warned temperatures higher than 40C, summer droughts, grassfires and downpours will increase in both frequency and severity.
A severe heatwave gripped the country last summer, as a new temperature record was set (40.3C) and numerous wildfires were reported across Britain. More than 3,000 heat-related deaths were recorded in England and Wales during five “heat periods” between June and August 2022, according to a joint report by the Office of National Statistics and the UK Health Security Agency.
While 2022 was an “extraordinary” year for the UK in terms of weather and climate, the Met Office said these conditions “are a potential warning of what we should expect in the future” as a result of human-caused climate change.
Maanya Sachdeva has more.
UK’s 40C summer of 2022 ‘will seem cool’ as climate crisis worsens, Met Office warns
We refuse to cancel, say tourists flying into Greek inferno
04:00 , Jane Dalton
British tourists on an easyJet flight to Rhodes have said they refuse to let wildfires ruin their holiday – despite thousands of others heading back home from “holiday hell”. Andy Gregory reports:
Tourists flying into Greece inferno reveal why they refuse to cancel holiday
Wildfires and climate change: the link
03:00 , Jane Dalton
Local authorities in Greece have suggested at least some of the wildfires could have been the work of arsonists.
But climate science and fire-risk specialists say it’s undeniable that rising temperatures and prolonged heatwaves mean the fires in the Mediterranean country have spread faster and burned over larger areas:
Are Greece wildfires caused by climate change?
Tourist recalls how Greeks saved her family
02:00 , Jane Dalton
A tourist broke down in tears as she detailed how she and her family managed to escape the Rhodes wildfires with the help of locals.
“It was so awful, it was like Dante’s Inferno,” LBC caller Jane, from Preston, explained.
Tourist breaks down detailing how Greek locals saved her family from wildfires
Italy announces support for businesses hit by heatwave
Thursday 27 July 2023 00:56 , Jane Dalton
Italy has announced measures to help families and businesses hit by extreme climate events, as the country reels from a heatwave in the south and fierce storms in the north.
Giorgia Meloni’s administration approved a decree to help construction and agricultural firms keep staff at home in areas with very high temperatures.
The decree allows building and farming companies, both severely hit by the heatwave because their workers cannot work from home, to use the instrument without the hours being counted in the overall limits.
“The measure will be valid for this year,” labour minister Marina Calderone said.
The heatwave over most of the south took a particularly heavy toll on the island of Sicily, which was devastated by wildfires that killed three people.
Catania, below Mount Etna in eastern Sicily, has been hit by power and water supply cuts that officials blamed in part on the heat.
More than 40 people killed as wildfires rage in nine countries
Wednesday 26 July 2023 23:51 , Jane Dalton
More than 40 people have been killed in wildfires that have engulfed swaths of land in nine Mediterranean countries, destroying homes and livelihoods and threatening forests, amid one of the world’s fiercest heatwaves:
More than 40 people die as wildfires rage in nine countries in record heatwave
Greek fires release record greenhouse gases
Wednesday 26 July 2023 22:44 , Jane Dalton
Greek wildfires released a record 1 megaton of carbon emissions between 1 and 25 July, the European Union’s Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service (CAMS) says.
That was nearly double the previous record, set in July 2007.
Carbon emissions accelerate the climate crisis, which scientists say has intensified the heatwaves.
Tourist beach left in charred ruins
Wednesday 26 July 2023 21:36 , Jane Dalton
Just last week, Glistra Beach played host to tourists no doubt enchanted by its rugged charm and surrounding shrub land, writes Andy Gregory.
But visited by The Independent as the sun set on the ninth day of wildfires that have torn through parts of Rhodes, nearly all evidence of human activity on Glistra had been reduced to charcoal and scorched metal.
The burnt wreck of a bar commanded the view over the small bay, with crumpled wrought iron forming a twisted and stunted structure littered with debris.
While just a few miles to the north, tourists lounged on untouched Lindos beach, the smoke from fires still raging near Gennadi to the south lay thick in the air, casting a heavy red haze as the sun went down on firefighters and civilians doing their best to quell the persistent flames.
Greece tries to salvage tourism
Wednesday 26 July 2023 20:36 , Jane Dalton
The Greek government has sought to contain damage to the reputation of one of its crucial revenue earners, tourism.
Tourism Minister Olga Kefalogianni stressed that wildfires had affected only a small part of the island.
“We have contacted the chamber of hoteliers and we want to see how we can bring people with holiday vouchers back,” she told Open television.
Greece is heavily reliant on its sea and sun tourist trade and Rhodes, one of its largest Aegean islands, is among its top destinations, attracting about 1.5 million foreign visitors in the summer months.
Around 3,000 holidaymakers had left Rhodes to return home by plane by Tuesday, while tour operators cancelled upcoming trips. TUI dropped flights to Rhodes until Friday.
Winds fuel fires in Rhodes as state of emergency declared
Wednesday 26 July 2023 20:00 , Jane Dalton
Firefighters and civilians in Rhodes are contending with continuous flare-ups fuelled by unpredictable winds, as temperatures neared a scorching 40C, writes Andy Gregory on the island:
Winds fuel fire flare-ups in Rhodes as state of emergency declared across island
Lizard laps up water from good Samaritan after Turkish wildfires
Wednesday 26 July 2023 19:25 , Jane Dalton
Watch: This is the heartwarming moment a good Samaritan gives water to a thirsty after the devastating wildfires left a Turkish forest in ashes.
Good Samaritan gives water to thirsty lizard after devastating Turkey wildfire
Transport help for people returning from Greek holidays
Wednesday 26 July 2023 18:50 , Jane Dalton
TransPennine Express, the intercity operator for the north of England and southern Scotland, has joined National Express in offering free travel to customers returning home from Greek wildfires.
“Customers should present their stamped passport and airline boarding pass confirming travel from the islands as proof of returning from the disruption,” the company says.
The company is also offering refunds on pre-purchased rail fares to passengers who have booked travel to Greece and have had their flights cancelled or no longer wish to travel.
When will heatwave in Europe end?
Wednesday 26 July 2023 18:14 , Jane Dalton
Southern European countries suffering under a sizzling heatwave for weeks can finally hope for some respite as a new forecast reveals “subtle changes in the jet stream” that are expected to bring temperatures down:
When will heatwave in Europe end? New forecast shows relief in sight
Fleeing holidaymakers all back in UK, says travel firm
Wednesday 26 July 2023 17:45 , Jane Dalton
Travel firm Thomas Cook says all its customers that had to flee their hotels at the weekend have now returned to the UK.
It said: “As normal tourism resumes across most of the island, we are also conscious that some of our customers do have some concerns about continuing with their original holiday plans. We are extending our offer to amend or refund customers who are due to depart up to and including Friday 28th July. We expect to reach a decision for the coming days in the next 24 hours.”
Why no Foreign Office warnings against travel?
Wednesday 26 July 2023 17:15 , Jane Dalton
In his daily travel podcast, The Independent’s travel correspondent, Simon Calder, tackles the increasing calls for the Foreign Office to warn against travel to Rhodes because of the wildfires.
When the FCDO make such an assessment, holiday companies are required to repatriate their customers and not to send any more travellers out.
Calder says: “The Foreign Office lost the plot and trashed the reputation of its travel advice during the Covid pandemic – when Portugal was classed as having the same degree of risk as the Afghan capital, Kabul, and parts of Somalia.
“After such misjudgments, it is not surprising that some holidaymakers who are now reluctant to travel see the prospect of a FCDO ‘no-go’ decision as a kind of get-out-of-jail-free card.
“But such a rating should be reserved for real high-risk locations. Rhodes continues to be a good holiday destination, and now the bargain destination of the summer.”
Hundreds of hectares of forest burned in Gran Canaria
Wednesday 26 July 2023 16:55 , Jane Dalton
A forest fire in El Cortijo de las Huertas, in Tejeda, Gran Canaria, Spain, burned some 300 hectares.
EU plans to buy firefighting planes
Wednesday 26 July 2023 16:18 , Jane Dalton
The European Union wants to sign contracts this year for up to 12 firefighting planes, the first it would fully own, to improve its ability to fight blazes fuelled by climate change, the bloc’s head of crisis management said.
The EU doubled its existing reserve fleet of firefighting aircraft in the past year, after devastating fires last summer in southern Europe exhausted its previous 13-craft capacity.
That fleet comprises 28 aircraft, which the EU pays to lease from EU countries’ own fleets or the market, to form a bloc-wide buffer during the wildfire season. That doubling of numbers is expected to cost 23 million euros, the commission said.
But as climate change increases the risk of severe blazes, EU Commissioner for Crisis Management Janez Lenarcic said Brussels wanted contracts signed this year to buy 12 EU-owned craft, plus another 12 to bolster countries’ own national fleets.
“We could have the first planes delivered two years later. And the whole fleet would be there by the end of the decade,” Mr Lenarcic told Reuters.
Manufacturer De Havilland Canada has agreed to re-launch production of the so-called “Canadair” aircraft, if the EU orders are placed, he said.
Six member states would sign the contracts: Croatia, France, Greece, Italy, Portugal and Spain. The EU would finance the purchase of the 12 planes for its own fleet, while member states would pay for their own.
We have neither energy nor power, say volunteer firefighters
Wednesday 26 July 2023 16:00 , Jane Dalton
Volunteer firefighters battling blazes night after night for nine days on Rhodes have spoken of their exhaustion as fires continued to flare up, writes Andy Gregory on the island.
In the town of Malonas, which was evacuated on Saturday, The Independent watched on alongside exhausted volunteers as a section of the charred forest nearby reignited.
The handful of volunteers gathered outside St George’s Church stood up to watch as a firefighting plane flew overhead, dousing the flames in water – as smoke continued to rise skywards.
They expected to venture out again alongside hundreds, if not thousands, of other civilians on Wednesday night to do what they could to keep the fires at bay – having fought back the flames just the night before, as they encroached on the sleepy inland town.
“We have no energy, we have no power – not enough to stop this ... We are waiting for the wind to calm down to try again tonight to finish the job, but it is very difficult because after 10 days everyone is very tired,” a volunteer named Panos said, adding: “I’m going to sleep now for one hour.”
Greek blazes ‘less severe’
Wednesday 26 July 2023 15:45 , Jane Dalton
Wildfires raging across Greece for more than a week had abated, a fire brigade official said earlier.
Firefighters are still battling on several fronts to contain blazes that have killed three people and caused thousands of tourists to flee.
On the island of Rhodes, where more than 20,000 foreign visitors and locals fled hotels and homes over the weekend, dozens of firefighters are still trying to tame a front close to a mountainous area in the south.
“Wildfires across Greece have abated, but firefighters are still operating at different spots,” an official told Reuters.
On Rhodes, “the fire is more intense close to the village of Vati, which is hard to reach, but no settlements are at risk,” another fire official said.
The Greek government has sought to contain damage to the reputation of one of its key revenue earners.
Fire threatens to engulf moving cars
Wednesday 26 July 2023 15:25 , Jane Dalton
Flames threatened to engulf cars travelling along a main road in Sicily, terrifying drivers and passengers, as this video footage shows:
Rhodes blazes have started again – fire official
Wednesday 26 July 2023 15:00 , Jane Dalton
Firefighters have been mobilised to the Rhodes village of Apollona, while fires also burned further south in Vati and Gennadi, writes reporter Andy Gregory, who is on the island.
“The fires have started again,” a fire service official told The Independent. “A little wind and the fire returns … That’s the problem.”
Speaking to The Independent in the town of Malonas, as the skies remained clear shortly before a fresh plume of smoke was spotted a short distance away, one resident described a “pattern” of flare-ups in recent days.
Miles, a 56-year-old artist from England who has lived on Rhodes for 17 years, said: “Clear in the morning. By the afternoon, the sky’s gone dark ... there’s smoke everywhere, and you can see it for miles.
“That’s why the helicopters are flying over now, they’re damping down near the edges to try and make sure it doesn’t come back,” he added.
State of emergency extended across all of Rhodes
Wednesday 26 July 2023 14:55 , Jane Dalton
Greece’s civil protection agency has extended its state of emergency to cover the entire island of Rhodes.
The measure will last for six months “to deal with emergencies and manage the consequences of catastrophic forestry fire”, civil protection minister Vasilis Papageorgiou said, according to local media.
Tragic ‘last words’ of firefighting pilots
Wednesday 26 July 2023 14:48 , Jane Dalton
The tragic last words of two heroic pilots who died fighting wildfires in Greece have been revealed:
Tragic 'last words' of hero pilots who died in plane crash fighting Greek wildfires
Tunisia and Algeria fires ‘contained’
Wednesday 26 July 2023 14:28 , Jane Dalton
Tunisian firefighters have completely contained fires that broke out in various regions, with the help of the Algerian army and firefighting planes from Spain, the Tunisian interior minister says.
Wildfires that swept across regions of Algeria, leaving at least 34 people, including 10 soldiers, dead, spread to Tunisian regions including forests.
Earlier on Wednesday, Algeria managed to contain the bush fire that had been raging in its forests, state TV said.
The fires in Tunisia forced hundreds of people to evacuate their homes.
Temperatures of 49C were recorded in some cities in Tunisia this week.
Two elderly found dead in burnt home
Wednesday 26 July 2023 14:19 , Jane Dalton
The bodies of two elderly people were found in a home that had been consumed by flames near Palermo airport, on the island of Sicily, which had been closed temporarily because of the encroaching flames, according to Italian news reports.
Firefighters are battling dozens of wildfires across southern Italy as searing temperatures continue to scorch Sicily, Sardinia and Calabria, where a number of evacuations were ordered.
Freak storms in the north of the countries also left two people dead on Tuesday from falling trees.
Greece crisis in pictures: Infernos, black skies and fleeing tourists
Wednesday 26 July 2023 14:03 , Jane Dalton
Severe fires in parts of Greece and in other Mediterranean countries have spread, causing excess deaths, destroying homes and threatening nature reserves during a third wave of extreme temperatures. These are some of the most powerful images:
Infernos, black skies and fleeing tourists: The Greece wildfires in pictures
Melting power cables ‘bring Sicily to its knees'
Wednesday 26 July 2023 13:57 , Jane Dalton
A mayor in Sicily said his city had been “brought to its knees” by temperatures approaching 50C (more than 120F), which had melted underground cables.
Hundreds of thousands of people on Sicily have been left without power or running water as the heatwave hit utilities, as well as airports and public transport.
“Most of our existing infrastructure was designed based on temperature averages 60 to 80 years ago,” an expert in engineering and critical infrastructure told The Wall Street Journal, “but these aren’t the conditions we are facing today.” Repair bills could be high.
Holidays to Rhodes on sale at halfprice
Wednesday 26 July 2023 13:46 , Jane Dalton
Exclusive: A week’s package holiday to Rhodes is being offered for sale for around half the normal summer levels on the wildfire-hit Greek island, writes Simon Calder:
Summer holidays to fire-hit Rhodes on sale for just £295
Fire in Portuguese holiday destination ‘under control'
Wednesday 26 July 2023 13:06 , Holly Evans
A wildfire that began on Tuesday afternoon in the popular Portuguese holiday destination of Cascais, near the capital of Lisbon, is now under control but firefighters will remain on the ground.
Civil protection commander Elisio Oliveira said the blaze no longer posed a risk to the population but urged people to avoid the area.
More than 600 firefighters and water-bombing planes battled the blaze, which was complicated by strong winds.
Around 90 people were evacuated as a precaution, but no houses were damaged and no major injuries have been reported.
Croatian firefighters endure ‘long night’ to contain fires
Wednesday 26 July 2023 12:48 , Holly Evans
Firefighters in near Dubrovnik worked overnight to ensure that a burning wildfire was contained, amid concerns it would reach houses.
Several kilometers away from the famous walled town of Dubrovnik, in the country’s south along the Adriatic Sea coast, water-dropping planes and more than 100 firefighters battled the blaze.
The medieval stone city is a protected heritage site and Croatia’s best-known tourism destination.
“It’s been a long night but we managed to stave off the part (of the fire) that is important because of the houses,” firefighting unit commander Stjepan Simovic said. “We must be careful because the wind has started to pick up and the fire can grow again.”
UK ambassador to visit Rhodes
Wednesday 26 July 2023 12:33 , Holly Evans
The UK’s ambassador to Greece is due to visit Rhodes today as firefighters continue to battle wildfires that have caused thousands to be evacuated.
Ambassador Matthew Lodge will meet with Greek officials including the deputy prime minister Ioannis Bratakos, Rhodes mayor Andonis Cambourakis and south Aegean governor Giorgos Hatzimarkos.
Sky News reports that Mr Lodge is due to discuss “the current status of the wildfires” and the “progress in relocating Brits to hotels or returning to the UK”.
Locals fear Rhodes fires storing up problems in months to come
Wednesday 26 July 2023 11:45 , Andy Gregory in Rhodes
The fires ravaging Rhodes are also storing up problems for locals in the months ahead, residents fear.
Speaking to The Independent in the town of Arhangelo, a local doctor in his 50s named Renos warned that the first large rainfall could bring a deluge of debris to the affected villages.
Even once the fires have been tamed in Rhodes, volunteers will need to work for at least a week to ensure the embers of the decimated forests do not reignite, he said.
Praising the strength of the civilians toiling at the fire front through the night after working in hotels and other jobs during the day, he said: “I think they deserve an Olympic gold medal.”
Former Greek defence minister calls for help from Russia to fight fires
Wednesday 26 July 2023 11:30 , Tara Cobham
A former Greek defence minister has urged the Greek government to seek help from Russia to fight the devastating wildfires.
Panos Kamennos claims it is impossible to cope with the fires without the support of the Russian Be-200 amphibious aircraft.
“Without Beriev, nothing happens. Let’s bow out heads and ask for help now. We will be given...” he said in a social media post.
Laura Sharman reports:
Former Greek defence minister calls for help from Russia to fight fires
Popular tourist site remains closed
Wednesday 26 July 2023 11:22 , Holly Evans
Temperatures in Greece have resulted in one of the world’s most popular tourist destinations closing for the afternoon, in a bid to protect visitors from the extreme heatwave.
With the heat expected to exceed 45C today, the Greek government said the Acropolis in Athens would be shut from 11am.
The historical landmark was forced to close last week as the stifling heat raised concerns around safety, with one woman attended to by paramedics after feeling faint.
Wildfires continue to rage across the country, with a blaze in Rhodes prompting the “biggest evacuation” in Greek history as 20,000 people were forced to leave their homes and hotels.
‘You feel like the fire is a beast’
Wednesday 26 July 2023 11:15 , Andy Gregory in Rhodes
The area surrounding the villages of Gennadi and Vati have become hotspots for the fires ravaging Rhodes in recent days.
Speaking to The Independent in the town of Arhangelo, where hundreds of young volunteers have travelled from to fight the fires, a 41-year-old software designer named Stefanos Pardalos described his trip to the fire front.
“I went at 11 o’clock at night, I helped a little bit, but you can’t do anything. You feel like [the fire is] a beast, honestly. It’s the first time in my life I’ve seen something [like that].
“Imagine airplanes can’t do [much],” he said, comparing this to the difficulty facing volunteers on the ground, some of whom he said were loading pickups with water systems from their houses to combat the fires.
Temperatures approach peak in Rhodes as firefighting efforts continue
Wednesday 26 July 2023 11:00 , Andy Gregory in Rhodes
Temperatures in Rhodes are approaching their forecast peak of 40C, intensifying conditions for those working to quell the fires here.
Hundreds of civilians have been travelling to the fire front in recent days, using any means at their disposal to halt the blazes which have prompted thousands of people to be evacuated from homes and hotels.
Those efforts continued on Wednesday in the scorching heat, as volunteers at a hub visited by The Independent near Faliraki bussed in and out to pick up supplies to take to those toiling in the south.
As well as the heat, already at 36C, the winds which have fanned the flames in unpredictable ways in recent days were set to intensify throughout the day here, with gusts reaching 25mph, according to the Met Office.
Watch: Tourist breaks down detailing how Greek locals saved her family
Wednesday 26 July 2023 10:45 , Tara Cobham
Travel industry ‘lost confidence’ in Foreign Office advice, says Paul Charles
Wednesday 26 July 2023 10:37 , Simon Calder, Travel Correspondent
A leading travel industry voice has called for a “complete overhaul” in Foreign Office consular advice.
Paul Charles, chief executive of travel consultancy The PC Agency and former Virgin Atlantic director, told The Independent: “It needs a complete overhaul as Foreign Office advice has always been seen as the arbiter and signal for the industry.
"But the industry has lost confidence in it since Covid and it failed to move swiftly in the green/wildfire crisis. Either it needs to be relaunched, after industry consultation, or abandoned and the onus put firmly on tour operators, airlines and travel agents, following a new Code for Overseas Travel.”
