A dispute on the Greek island of Santorini has escalated after a strike by tourist bus operators led several cruise ships to cancel or change their planned arrivals, triggering strong reactions from local authorities and business groups.
The strike, announced by the Santorini Tourist Offices and Bus Operators Association for Monday, June 22, affects services for cruise passengers. According to the Municipality of Thira, which administers Santorini, the cruise ships MSC Sinfonia and Norwegian Pearl cancelled their calls to the island, while Celebrity Ascent postponed its arrival until Tuesday, June 23.
The cancellations have caused concern among tourism professionals, who say the disruption could have a serious impact on the island’s economy during the peak tourist season.
Bus operators cite long-standing problems
The Santorini Tourist Offices and Bus Operators Association described the strike as a “last effort” to highlight ongoing problems affecting the operation of cruise tourism on the island.
The association argues that the current system for distributing cruise passenger transfers — based on a 70%-30% allocation between the island’s main cruise access points of Fira and Athinios— is unfair and ineffective because there is no organized scheduling system (“time slots”) for passenger disembarkation.
It also raised concerns over a lack of parking areas, organized meeting points and overall planning, saying these issues contribute to daily traffic congestion, difficulties in serving visitors and damage to Santorini’s image as a tourist destination.
The association also highlighted the lack of a permanent solution for parking in Fira, saying that despite proposals and initiatives, the problem continues to affect residents, professionals and visitors.
Municipality rejects accusations
The Municipality of Thira called the decision to suspend cruise passenger services “incomprehensible,” arguing that the strike was launched before all opportunities for institutional dialogue had been exhausted.
The municipality said recent discussions had not shown disagreement over the 70%-30% allocation system and that further talks had already been planned to address the remaining issues.
It also said it has provided parking spaces in Oia and Fira, with an annual cost of €72,000, and stressed that the consequences of the strike mainly affect businesses, workers and residents of the island.
The municipality warned that those escalating the dispute should consider the impact of their actions on the wider community.
Local businesses warn of losses
The Santorini Merchants and Professionals Association also criticized the strike, calling it “unacceptable and damaging” to the island’s economy.
The group said cruise tourism is a key pillar of the local economy, supporting retail businesses, restaurants, tourist offices, the cable car service and the wider market.
It argued that the cancellation of cruise arrivals had already resulted in thousands of visitors being lost and significant financial damage for hundreds of businesses.
The association called for the immediate return of bus operators to their duties and urged the relevant authorities to intervene.
Bus operators respond
The Tourist Offices and Bus Operators Association later issued statements responding to both the municipality and business representatives, rejecting their criticism.
The association denied that it had accepted the 70%-30% allocation system and said it had submitted specific proposals to resolve the issues. It also claimed it had repeatedly requested a meeting with the mayor of Thira without receiving a response.
The group said any official negotiations should take place with the mayor present and accused the leadership of the merchants’ association of creating division by supporting decisions made by other local bodies.
It also defended the role of tourist bus operators, saying they are a key part of Santorini’s tourism chain, transporting millions of visitors and contributing to commercial activity on the island.
The association said its members do not accept being blamed for problems that, in their view, result from decisions made by other authorities.
