Danish holidaymakers still travelling despite wildfires

Danish tourists are continuing to travel to popular Mediterranean destinations despite wildfires across parts of southern Europe, national broadcaster DR reports.

Greek islands remain a top choice for Danes, though fires have forced evacuations in several areas. In Crete’s Rethymno province, around 8,000 people were evacuated this week, while 74 Danes were briefly removed from a beach near their hotel on Lesbos on Wednesday before being allowed to return that evening.

At Aalborg and Billund airports, DR spoke to travellers heading to Crete. Bente Madsen, a bookkeeper from Billund, said she remains confident authorities will manage the situation and alert her if fires approach her destination. She has already adjusted her plans, cancelling a hike in Crete’s Samaria Gorge due to fire risk in the area.

“We hope they get it under control and it reopens,” she said. “We brought our hiking gear.”

Mette Rosenkilde, a hospital scheduler from Aalborg, said her family tracked fire locations before departure. With their hotel on the opposite side of Crete from active blazes, separated by a mountain range, she expressed little concern. She has also signed up for the Foreign Ministry’s Danskerliste to receive official updates.

“We’ve registered with the Danskerlist at the Foreign Ministry and know we’ll get notifications if there’s any danger,” she said.

Tom Jespersen, a vocational teacher from Grenaa, had just returned from Crete after a week-long stay. He reported only one disruption: overnight alerts on Wednesday about a fire 50 kilometres away. The messages provided guidance but required no action.

Greek authorities automatically send emergency alerts to mobile phones with roaming enabled in high-risk areas, according to the Danish Foreign Ministry’s website.