The airline and operator had already suspended outbound flights to Rhodes until Saturday (29 July) and new holiday departures until Monday (31 July). However, it confirmed late on Tuesday (25 July) it would not be operating holidays to some 41 resorts in the south of the island departing up to and including Friday 11 August.

Tui holidays to northern areas of Rhodes, though, will go ahead as scheduled from Saturday with the operator insisting hotels and resorts there are fully operational. Tui reps, it said, were on hand to support guests. There will also be an active excursion programme.

So far, Tui has operated five repatriation flights to bring home guests displaced by the fires, or those wishing to cut short their breaks on the island. Outbound services will continue to operate empty until Saturday.

"We’re continuing to closely monitor the wildfires in Rhodes, which led to the evacuation of a number of hotels in the south of the island, and have made some changes to our holiday programme in the coming days," said Tui in a statement issued on Tuesday evening, in which it confirmed:

• No outbound (passenger) flights to Rhodes up to and on Friday 28 July
• Flight-only customers due to travel on affected flights will receive full refunds
• Package holiday customers due to travel on affected flights will be given the option to amend their booking or cancel for a full refund
• No holiday operations to 41 hotels and resorts across the south of the island until Saturday 12 August, including for those with packages featuring non-Tui flights
• All customers due to travel to any part of Rhodes up to or on Sunday 30 July have access to free amendments or the option to cancel for a full refund

The Foreign Office updated its travel advice for Greece on Tuesday afternoon, stressing "extreme temperatures" were affecting many areas of the country. "There are active wildfires across Greece, including in populated areas on the mainland and a number of islands," said the FCDO.

"If you are due to travel to an area that might be affected by wildfires, contact your travel operator or accommodation provider before you travel to check that it is not currently impacted. Make sure you have appropriate insurance."

The government on Tuesday moved to defend the Foreign Office’s decision not to advise against all but essential travel to Rhodes during a House of Lords debate following criticism in the national media and from consumer champion Which?

Conservative peer Patrick Stopford, the Earl of Courtown, said: “Our travel advice is focused on ensuring the safety of British nationals and is designed to give people the detail they need to make an informed decision. Of course, our travel advice is always under review."

Which? Travel editor Rory Boland said: "Without a Foreign Office warning against travel to the affected regions, travellers who don’t want to go but are refused flexibility to rebook are likely to be left holding the bill for acting sensibly, and may be unable to claim on their travel insurance. No holidaymaker should be forced to choose between losing their money and travelling into a natural disaster zone."