As part of efforts to restore Rhodes’ reputation and encourage tourism to the island after the devastating fires last month, the Greek Tourism Ministry and the South Aegean Region announced that they had teamed up with advertising company Ogilvy for the launch of an international marketing campaign dubbed “Rhodes, What You Love is Here”.

The campaign was announced after a meeting on Wednesday between Tourism Minister Olga Kefalogianni, South Aegean Regional Governor Giorgos Hatzimarkos,  Greek National Tourist Organization (GNTO) Secretary General Dimitris Fragakis, and Ogilvy executives.

The news comes a day after Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis announced on UK television free weeklong holidays for those who were affected by the destructive fires in July.

“For all those whose holiday was cut short as a result of wildfires, the Greek government in cooperation with local authorities will offer one week of free holidays on Rhodes, next spring, next fall, so that we make sure they come back to the island and enjoy its natural beauty,” Mitsotakis said.

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Athens’ Christmas tree was lit up on Syntagma Square on Thursday, signaling the start of the holiday season in the Greek capital.

Set up by the Municipality of Athens, the tree is 17 meters tall, features 24,000 LED lights and was shipped from Karpenisi, central Greece.

Accompanied by hundreds of residents and visitors, outgoing mayor Kostas Bakoyannis gave the signal for the tree lighting and rang in the holiday season.

From December 1 until January 7, 2024, the city’s cultural venues, museums, libraries, squares, streets and neighborhoods will be filled with Christmas cheer.

This article was originally published on news.gtp.gr