With its beautiful landscape, clean beaches and tranquil atmosphere, Alexandroupolis has long been a tourist destination, but after a summer of wildfires, the town in northeastern Greece is counting the economic cost of an ecological disaster.
It is estimated that 48% of the municipality’s land was scorched in a 16-day fire which led to thousands of cancellations by holidaymakers.
“You can understand that what happened, this situation, may take years for customers to feel safe again and sure that they will come and find these things that made Alexandroupoli famous: green nature, Evros, sea and safety,” said Apostolos Palakidis, President of Thrace hoteliers.
Euronews journalist Ioannis Karagiorgas visited the area to find out how its residents are coping. You can see his full report above.