NHS workers offered free Ibiza holiday as thank you for coronavirus work
8 July 2020, 07:31 | Updated: 8 July 2020, 07:36
A new campaign hopes to give over 1000 NHS workers a Spanish break in 2021.
After months of bravery on the front line, NHS workers could be offered free holidays in Ibiza next year to thank them for working during the coronavirus pandemic.
The initiative, called Together for Healthcare Heroes, was launched in March and sets out to provide healthcare staff in Europe with free accommodation.
It has now been backed by the Ibizan government, with tourism councillor, Juan Miguel Costa, telling a local paper that health workers deserve rewarding for their ‘professionalism and strength’.
He said to Diario de Ibiza that the scheme aims to 'compensate those who have looked after us, risking their lives in many cases, and who deserve that we all do our share to make sure they have holidays that meet high expectations'.
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The free accommodation will be available outside the holiday hotspot's peak season, meaning workers should be able to jet off for a week in April, May and October 2021.
Staff from NHS hospitals, care homes and hospices will be included in the initiative, which is currently asking for submissions.
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According to the Together for Healthcare Heroes website, it aims to ‘find at least 1,000 best in class accommodation providers in Europe’, with around 60 private properties having already been offered.
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Rooms in the Atzaro, OD Hoteles, Concept Hotel Group and Aguas de Ibiza hotel chains have also been offered.
A statement on the site reads: "How can we say thank you to those fighting for the lives of our families, friends and communities?
"How can we say thank you to those putting their own lives at risk for us?
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"Together we are driving change by celebrating and rewarding those who put our community, family and friends first during the COVID-19 outbreak.
"Unprecedented times highlight exceptional people. We thank those who we have trusted with our lives, by gifting them our homes and hotels in Ibiza and across Europe."
This comes after Turkish Airlines similarly said it would provide a large discount on flight tickets for NHS workers.
NHS staff can get a 40 per cent discount on their flights, alongside three others they choose to travel with.
The offer lasts until July 18 and can be used until May 2021.
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