Rhodes: Tourists “melt” under the hot sun while waiting for passport control

Several hundred tourists had to line under the hot sun waiting for the passport control at the port of the island of Rhodes on Monday. Three tourist boats had arrived at the same time with a total of 600 passengers.

Exhausted by the heat, a woman could stand no longer and fainted. She was immediately taken to the port clinic where she received first aid and recovered a little later.

The incident upset the tourists who were already protesting the waiting conditions and the inconvenience they were exposed to under the hot sun beams.

The port does not have any sun protection option, not even a simple awning. Not to mention benches or a waiting hall with chairs and A/C.

Travel agents have often received complaints by tourists who are surprised about the conditions.

According to local newspaper dimokratiki, the Municipal Port Fund had secured the money in order to install sun shade. However, the project was never materialized as the Archaeological Authority never gave permission for the tent. “Every attempt to place an awning or  a  canopy was met with the opposition of the Archaeological service,” the daily notes.

But this is not the only problem.

The increase by “five police officers per shift has accelerate the procedure significantly,” dimokratiki writes, adding that the lack of operating Air-Conditioning in the passport control office takes the discomfort of the tourists in new levels.

Apparently there is A/C but due to lack of maintenance it remains out of order.

Entrepreneurs in the tourism sector stress that it is not appropriate for an island like Rhodes to lack the necessary infrastructure to serve visitors.

Under no circumstances should hundreds of people, including elderly and people with disabilities, to be subjected to such great trouble, waiting for hours under the sun and when it is their turn for the passport control to experience more discomfort due to lack of A/C, dimotratiki underlines.