Yahoo News Holidaymakers warned of ‘really scary’ risks in Greece, Turkey and the USA
A travel expert has warned holidaymakers of the risk of wildfires in popular destinations such as Greece, Turkey and the USA. Travel writer Ash Bhardwaj was a guest in BBC’s Morning Live on Monday, where he discussed the latest travel advice for viewers.
He joined presenters Helen Skelton and Gethin Jones and spoke about what people need to know ahead of the summer holidays. Gethin mentioned that “really scary” wildfires have been a cause of concern for travellers and showed footage of a blaze in the USA.
Ash pointed out that last year 25,000 people had to be evacuated from Rhodes because of the wildfires there. He warned that this was something travellers would experience more of due to climate change.
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He told Gethin and Helen: “We’re entering wildfire season, which peaks in July and August, and some of these places are seeing temperatures that peak at over 50 degrees Celsius. As a place gets drier and hotter, you’re more likely to get wildfires.
“And because of climate change more places are going to get drier and hotter for longer, so we are going to start seeing more of this and it may affect our tourism.
“Over the last five years, 13 per cent of travel insurance claims have been evacuations or related to natural disasters, so this is something that can affect your travel.”
Helen commented that although you can’t predict natural disasters, there are some things you can do to prepare. Ash said: “Knowledge is power, know before you go. The best place to check is the FCDO - the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Website, they have travel advice, and they use a traffic light system on whether to travel there.”
He added that these pages provide information on risks such as wildfires, extreme weather, local laws and customs, visa requirements. “Wherever you’re going, wherever you are in the world, always check that website.”
Ash urged holidaymakers to prepare for wildfires during their stay. He advised viewers to ask hotel staff about evacuation policies and to make sure you’ve got a map of the local area, as well as creating a ‘grab bag’ with essential items and important documents inside.
