The forest fires on Rhodes caused extensive damage in the southern part of the island. Thousands of holidaymakers had to be evacuated at the end of July. To support local partners and the affected population, DER Travel and Tourism Foundation e.V. launched a fundraising campaign at www.dertouristik-foundation.com at the beginning of August.

The results are impressive: "We are very grateful to our partner Heliotropio, a Greek non-governmental organisation focusing on nature conservation and environmental education, for the impressive sum of 53,990 euros. Every private donation we received was doubled by DER Travel and Tourism. In addition, DER Travel and Tourism donated a further EUR 50,000 for the relief and reconstruction measures on the island," says Ingo Burmester, CEO Central Europe of DER Travel and Tourism Group.

100 per cent of the money will go directly to the following measures on Rhodes:

• Supporting the reforestation activities of the Greek Ministry of Forestry and planting over 1,000 trees
• Raising awareness among the local population for measures to protect against soil erosion and promote a more fire-resistant ecosystem after forest fires
• Establishment of a greenhouse for forest species run by local people
• Sensitising the local population (including children) to Sustainability and the use of alternative energies
• Equipping communities with firefighting equipment to improve disaster preparedness of volunteers
• Working with the fire brigade to train volunteer firefighters

Laura Steden "We are grateful for the generous donations received and can thus make a meaningful contribution to the reconstruction and prevention of future disasters together with you," says Laura Steden, Director Corporate Responsibility at DER Travel and Tourism Group, delighted with the result of the fundraising campaign.