What happened in Greece and Turkey?

Two travellers were killed in the early hours of Friday after a powerful earthquake struck the Greek holiday island of Kos, also causing disruption in the Turkish tourist hub of Bodrum.

A Turkish and a Swedish tourist, aged 39 and 22 years, died after the roof of a bar collapsed, Greek police have reported. Kos’s port was put out of action and, across the strait in Bodrum, a small tsunami damaged vehicles parked near the shore, according to a Reuters report.

An estimated 200 people have also been injured, including tourists of various nationalities.

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The U.S. Geological Survey put the quake at magnitude 6.7 and located the epicenter 6 miles south-east of the Turkish summer tourist hub of Bodrum, and about 16 km east of Kos’s main port, across a strait from Kos.

How many tourists visit Greece and Turkey each year?

Tourism to Greece has thrived in recent years, contributing a good chunk of revenue to the region’s floundering economy. Since 2014 visitor numbers have risen from 24 million to 28 million in 2016, making it one of the most visited countries in Europe and the world.

On the other hand, Turkey’s tourism numbers have suffered over the past year or so as bomb attacks, political unrest and a violent coup attempt have swept the country.

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Both areas are prone to natural disaster, with the most common occurring in Kos being droughts, earthquakes, wildfire, floods, extreme temperatures, and storms. Turkey’s location between the Arabian tectonic plate and the Eurasian plate renders it prone to earthquakes.

What insurance will cover me should a natural disaster occur?

Consumer rights group Which? says that if the Foreign and Commonwealth Office has not advised against all but essential travel to the area, your insurance company is unlikely to pay out if you decide to cancel or curtail your trip because of safety fears.

Insurance providers will have varying policies so you should check accordingly to find out how you are covered.

Can you cancel a holiday in the event of a natural disaster?

Which? explains that if your travel operator can provide a safe, secure and enjoyable holiday then they are not obligated to give you a refund or find you an alternative trip.

However, if the FCO says it’s unsafe to travel, most tour operators will cancel your trip and find you a suitable equivalent holiday or give you a refund.

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It’s worth noting that if the FCO says a destination may be safe to visit, your travel provider may go ahead with the trip, even if you don’t want to.

What are the main travel operators saying?

Thomas Cook says it will work with customers with upcoming visits on a case-by-case basis and is advising travellers to get in contact with any queries.

“Our teams in the resort areas affected by the earthquake and in our customer centres are supporting customers currently on holiday in the region. We have no reports of any injuries and there is little impact on our hotels,” a spokesman for the operator said.

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“Any customers who are on holiday with us and who have concerns should speak to our teams on the ground or call us on +44 161 774 2966. Any customers who are due to travel to the affected areas in the coming days should check our website for updates or call us on 01733 224 536.”

Thomson and First Choice have cancelled flights scheduled to depart today to affected resorts, but flights are due to operate as normal tomorrow.

The operator says it currently has 2,682 UK customers in Kos, 441 in Bodrum and a combined 15,462 of UK and European customers on Kos.

A spokesperson for the company said: “Customers due to travel to the areas affected and who have concerns about travel should contact us, and will be offered alternative holidays.”