Images of stormy winds throwing walls of fire, 10 metres high, towards hotels were seen around the world last year. The sheer horror facing tourists in Greek holiday hotspots will be remembered by many considering a trip there this summer.
In July, some 20,000 tourists and residents in the south-east of the island of Rhodes needed to be evacuated in the space of just hours in July 2023, followed by a days-long battle against the flames.
The fires left behind extensive damage, burnt houses and charred olive groves. Nevertheless, tens of thousands continue to spend their holidays on the island.
What can they expect this year on Rhodes and in other Greek holiday resorts?
"The repairs are almost complete," says island mayor Alex Koliadis. "Of course, this meant significant financial costs, not only for the hotels, but also for all other tourist businesses, restaurants and shops."
As far as nature is concerned, the burnt forest and bush areas are being replanted and reforested. "However, farmers, livestock breeders and beekeepers are still facing serious problems."
The fires on this scale came as a shock to the islanders. Many risked their lives to protect their homes and villages. There was a lot of solidarity, Koliadis says, saying that the fires showed that the people of Rhodes stuck together in times of need.
This also applies to many other regions of Greece that were hit by natural disasters last year: In the north-east, a large part of the unique Dadia National Park burned down in August. In central Greece, the cities of Larisa and Volos and the surrounding agricultural areas were flooded in September after days of heavy rain.
Time and again, people lost their lives, despite the fact that the civil protection authorities consistently and quickly organized the evacuation of nearby residential areas. Time and again, there were huge waves of solidarity - not only from Greeks, but also from people abroad who have grown to love this country.
For those who had to cancel their holiday on Rhodes last July due to the fires, the government organised a new visit in this year's early or late season: those who came were allowed to stay for a week for free.
Much more important, however, is how the government plans to handle future natural disasters.
"Chasing after the flames is expensive and inefficient," says Koliadis and warns of the months ahead: "On Rhodes, we experienced a winter with little rain and we are expecting a very hot summer - like many other countries in southern Europe."
Prevention is therefore the be-all and end-all. Among other things, the penalties for negligent and wilful arson have been greatly increased - experts say that the majority of fires are caused by human error.
The climate crisis has arrived in Greece, experts agree, as do Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis and Rhodes Mayor Koliadis. The government recently announced that it would be investing €2.1 billion ($2.3 billion) in disaster prevention. The "Aegis" action programme is necessary because the climate crisis has long been here, says Mitsotakis.
The fires of 2023 showed that nothing would ever be the same again. Civil Protection Minister Vassilis Kikilias has announced that he is expecting another summer of forest fires because the winter in Greece was so warm and dry.
Ten additional fire-fighting helicopters, five fire-fighting aeroplanes and hundreds of new vehicles are to be purchased for the fire brigade.
Investments are also to be made in the civil protection infrastructure, in technical equipment and in new technologies, such as drones that could be used for fires in inaccessible areas.
Mayor Koliadis believes that tourists are well aware of climate change. "They are not blindsided by the weather when they go on holiday. I would say they have already adapted."
Ultimately, this applies to everyone: "We have to change our attitude towards nature and act accordingly."
