Welcome back: free stays for thousands of tourists evacuated from Rhodes wildfires

It has required new legislation and navigation of copious red tape, but nine months after wildfires devastated Rhodes, Greece has launched the first "free" holidays for thousands of tourists who were forced to flee the island because of the infernos.

- Helena Smith, Rachel Hall

In a move described as a world first by tourism officials, up to 25,000 of the holidaymakers affected by the natural disaster will as of this week be eligible for compensation.

"The scheme is up and running as the prime minister promised," the Greek tourism ministry's general secretary, Myron Flouris, told the Guardian. "It's been a very complicated process. Not least, I think, because we're the first country in the world to do this."

Under the programme, people who stayed in hotels that were evacuated during the July fires will be able to redeem e-vouchers worth up to €500 (£430) to cover accommodation charges for a weeklong stay. Holidaymakers will be able to use the vouchers to book holidays now until to 31 May and from 1 October to 15 November.

Take-up has already been strong, according to tourism officials in Rhodes, with more than 5,000 holidaymakers enrolling on the scheme's register of beneficiaries. "Anyone who was staying in areas that were affected by the fires is eligible," said Yannis Papavasiliou, who heads the island's hotel association. "The response has been very good and we are told it will be even stronger come the autumn."