Santorini’s tourism sector continues to suffer from the intense and persistent seismic activity that occurred earlier this year. Air arrivals have dropped sharply, and concerns remain regarding the cruise sector ahead of the scheduled increase in cruise ship visits starting in June.

According to data from the Santorini Hoteliers Association, air arrivals fell by 34% in April compared to last year. Despite the challenges, hoteliers express optimism that tourism will stabilize from early June, helped by a new promotional campaign jointly organized by the South Aegean Region and the Greek National Tourism Organization (GNTO), with a budget of €600,000.

The Impact of Earthquakes on Santorini

Antonis Pagonis, President of the Santorini Hoteliers Association, confirmed that the seismic activity significantly disrupted the start of the tourist season.
“We expected that March and April would be difficult months,” said Mr. Pagonis. “However, we are optimistic about seeing positive results from June onward.”

Mr. Pagonis added that all hotels are expected to open on May 1, following the island’s usual seasonal pattern, and that the new promotional campaign is anticipated to help restore visitor confidence.

The GNTO has already carried out several small-scale promotional activities to positively showcase Santorini in key tourism markets. Journalists from Germany and Romania have visited the island, touring major attractions to prepare reports for media outlets in their home countries — an initiative led by GNTO Secretary General Andreas Fiorentinos in collaboration with Santorini’s Mayor, Nikos Zorzos.

The mayor emphasized that Santorini has an annual visitor capacity of 3.6 million and highlighted the island’s comparative advantages:

  • its rare geomorphology,
  • its deep historical and cultural heritage,
  • its hiking tourism potential (such as the Fira–Oia and Perissa–Ancient Thira trails),
  • its renowned wine tradition,
  • and its exceptional agricultural products, such as unique varieties of tomatoes and eggplants.

Cruise Sector Anticipates Busy Summer, But Cable Car Key

According to the Santorini Port Authority, nearly 98 cruise ships are scheduled to call at the island in May, and 120 more are expected in June.

An urgent issue raised by the Union of Cruise Ship Owners and Maritime Agencies (EEKFN) concerns the island’s cable car system. In a recent meeting on Santorini involving representatives from cruise lines, the Mayor, the Port Authority, local merchants, and boat operators, participants stressed that the reopening of the cable car is vital.

Giorgos Koubenas, President of EEKFN, told OT that the government must ensure and announce by May 15 — when the current operational restrictions expire — that the cable car will reopen. Otherwise, managing cruise ship passenger flow from Athinios port would become extremely difficult.

The EEKFN emphasized the urgent need for a new, modern, high-capacity cable car system to alleviate waiting times for passengers disembarking from cruise ships and to protect them from extreme heat — a growing concern due to climate change.

Such a facility would relieve congestion at Athinios port, enabling faster and more comfortable transfers of passengers directly to Fira and other destinations, while also boosting the revenue of the foundation managing the installation.

Additionally, EEKFN noted that repairing and upgrading the four existing mooring buoys near the old port is essential. These upgrades would allow smaller and mid-sized cruise ships to dock closer to shore, improving passenger flow and reducing reliance on ship tenders.

Allowing ships to moor directly would also minimize pollution by reducing emissions from idling engines and contribute additional port revenue through docking fees.

Source: OT