
The iconic holiday spot losing tourists over earthquake fears
Santorini is expected to see fewer tourists this summer due to earthquake activity earlier in the year.
Tourist traffic has declined following thousands of tremors in January and February, with airline seats down 26 per cent from the start of the year, according to the Association of Greek Tourism Enterprises (SETE).
Yannis Paraschis of SETE said he anticipates overall losses of 10-15 per cent for the summer, marking the first drop in tourist numbers since the 2020 pandemic.
Antonis Pagoni, president of Santorini hoteliers, reports overall arrivals have fallen by 20-30 per cent, a significant reduction for the popular destination.
The UK Foreign Office said the earthquake activity in February had subsided but advised tourists to be aware of safety procedures.

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


The Sun
an hour ago
- The Sun
Greece's second largest island that you won't have heard of has a new hotel – and you can walk to it from the mainland
ISLE GO Plus, the affordable holiday island for Brits with white sand beaches and Dubai-like restaurants that is loved by celebs THE second largest island in Greece is less than an hour from Athens - but most Brits wont have heard of it. Evia is split off from the mainland by only about 50 metres so visitors can cross the bridge from the mainland. 5 5 The island is welcoming a new hotel resort as well upgrading a current one. One of the largest hotel investments in Evia is being developed in the Cheromylos area, including a five-star hotel. The resort will span across 54-acres on the seaside and have a total of 71 rooms, seven bungalows with private pools, wellness facilities, conference rooms and a number of eateries. Only electric vehicles will be allowed within the hotel complex and at the front of the resort there will be around 200 metres of sandy beach. Heading over one of the Two Bridges - the Old Bridge and the newer suspension bridge - travellers will find themselves in Chalkida, the capital of the island. Just 80km away from Athens, Chalkida acts as the main gateway to the island. And here is where another destination is getting an upgrade. The Saint Minas Beach hotel is being upgraded to offer better services and facilities. Throughout the Chalkida there are pedestrian lined streets with quaint cafes and restaurants. Key landmarks include the Red House - a neoclassical building that features four clay statues. The adult-only Greek hotel with laid-back DJs and hidden beach 5 The town hall also features stunning architecture. Visitors won't be short of choice when it comes to historical spots too with The Archeological Museum, the Roman Aqueduct, the Folk Art Museum and a range of breathtaking churches. Chalkida was even used as a filming location for Triangle of Sadness, which follows the story of a celebrity couple who are invited on a uber-luxury cruise captained by a questionable individual. Also on the island is Aidipsos - a famous resort which is capable of accommodating 40,000 tourists during the summer season. Here, travellers can relish in thermal spas that even Aristotle and Plutarch used to visit, according to Discover Greece. In fact, Aidipsos is home to more than 80 thermal springs with temperatures ranging from 28C to 86C. Sun-bathing fans are also spoilt for choice, with beaches including Aghios, Minas, Asteria, Rodies and Liani Ammos. 5 One particular beach - Alikes - is home to several vibrant bars that are a great spot for dance lovers wanting to boogie. And Kalamos Beach features azure blue waters, with one visitor commenting: "One of the most beautiful beaches on Evia". The same visitor said on Tripadvisor that there are some local tavernas close to the beach and also showers available. Alternatively, you could head to Armyrichi Beach, which one visitor said on Tripadvisor was "just magical". The visitor added: "The place [is] untouched by modernism. Both family and romantic couples the place is a must vacation stop." Prices across the island are pretty cheap as well, with a beer costing around €2.50 (£2.13) and medium glass of white wine costs around €3 (£2.56). It takes just under an hour to drive from Athens International Airport to Evia. Brits are also swapping busy Spain for these three quiet Greek hotspots with £1 pints and secret beaches. Plus, the affordable holiday island for Brits with white sand beaches and Dubai-like restaurants that is loved by celebs.


The Sun
an hour ago
- The Sun
Thousands of Brits are ditching Europe for these three cheap African holiday destinations
WITH expensive costs and overcrowded attractions, thousands of Brits are ditching Europe for more affordable destinations in Africa. Recent research by TUI has seen a boom in demand for North African holidays. 3 3 Morocco, Egypt and Tunisia are all seeing a boom in demand, with destinations like Marrakech reporting record tourist numbers, TUI's UK commercial director Chris Logan said that the reason for the demand was not because of the "fantastic value for money" compared to pricier places in Europe. He told PA: "There's good quality accommodation and great weather beyond the traditional summer season. "Even in the winter months temperatures are mild, making them a perfect choice for year-round travel." And according to aviation analysts Cirium, nearly 20,000 flights are set to fly from London to North African destinations. This is up from around 8,600 back in 2019. Some of TUI's new routes include Stansted to Enfidha in Tunisia and from Newcastle to Agadir in Morocco. Holidays are extremely cheaply too - we found deals under £300 each when four-star hotels in Morocco. This demand has also been backed by who said they had seen an increase in searches for summer holidays to Tunisia by 64 per cent compared to last year. Searches for Egypt were up 64 per cent while Morocco was up 39 per cent. Inside luxury camping bivouac under the dunes in Morocco's Sahara desert Experts say many people are being drawn to the region by its wide availability of high-quality hotels costing considerably less than similar properties in locations such as Spain, France and Italy. Nicki Tempest-Mitchell, managing director at travel agency Barrhead Travel said north Africa was "a region to watch over the next few years". Other new Africa flights from the UK include easyJet's first route to Cape Verde from London Gatwick as well as flights to the Tunisia capital of Djbera. And Norse Airways is increasing its flights from the UK to Cape Town after huge demand following the launch of them last year. Julia Lo Bue-Said, chief executive of Advantage Travel Partnership, a network of independent travel agents, said there is a "clear trend toward value-conscious holiday planning". She went on: "Ongoing cost of living pressures and squeezed disposable incomes have meant that while people remain committed to taking holidays, they're increasingly focused on maximising value for money. "This shift has driven growing popularity for destinations like Morocco, Egypt and Tunisia, which offer more competitive pricing and high-quality accommodation options compared to the more traditional western Mediterranean resorts." The Sun's Deputy Travel Editor recently visited El Gouna in Egypt. Our Head of Travel (Print) Lisa Minot went to Djerba in Tunisia. And our 3


Telegraph
5 hours ago
- Telegraph
Britons boycotting Majorca? The island has never been busier
It's early morning and a tour bus disgorges a large group of day trippers in the mountain village of Fornalutx in the north-west of Majorca. Locals sipping coffee in the atmospheric plaça shrug resignedly as throngs of tourists crowd the cobbled lanes, iPhone cameras at the ready. Meanwhile, in the town of Soller and its port, guides with gaudy umbrellas march their wards through the packed streets on whistle-stop tours before catching buses, or the vintage tram and train, back to Palma. The majority of visitors, though, arrive in hired cars, and like ravenous sharks, circle the car parks in the Soller valley, snapping up every available space. It's a similar story in the arty village of Deià and other popular enclaves. The island has never been busier. Yet recent media headlines have told a very different story. Amidst the alarmist reports about wide-scale anti-tourist sentiment, chaotic traffic jams and impending strikes in the hospitality sector, it has been suggested that a boycott of Majorca is underway, with British holidaymakers in particular said to be steering clear. Nothing could be further from the truth. Hamlet Ramirez Marquéz, owner of Café Soller and La Sal Port Soller restaurant, said: 'Trust me, there are many happy British holidaymakers currently here in Soller.' He added that recent headlines about traffic and parking problems were 'way off the mark. Last year, we had problems but now we have three new car parks, and residents have exclusive parking zones.' His views are corroborated by Emese Juhasz, proprietor of the Grøenk restaurants in Deià and Fornalutx: 'We have a lot of British guests and it's evident from their comments that the island still holds its charm. The British love affair with Majorca is unwavering.' Rubén Zamora, Managing Director of Nybau hotels in Majorca, added: 'Earlier this year, perhaps due to economic conditions, occupancy was lower in our hotels in Pollença, Palma and Montuïri, but all in all we expect a similar or better season than in 2024. Still, we cannot be complacent, and need to maintain high standards, but the gloomy forecasts have been greatly exaggerated.' The data supports their assertions. For the first three months of 2025, there was a 3.4 per cent increase in the number of international visitors to the Balearic islands, and a bumper 18 million tourists are expected in the archipelago this year. Will tourists be welcome this summer? Can these holidaymakers expect a laid-back summer free from the anti-tourism demonstrations and flash-mobs on beaches that plagued Majorca last year? Not quite. This weekend, on June 15, a large-scale rally will be held in Palma by Menys Turisme, Més Vida (Less Tourism, More Life), a united platform of different island action groups. It will form part of a coordinated initiative by the Southern Europe Network Against Touristification (SET) which will hold demonstrations in regions it perceives to be particularly badly affected by excessive tourism, such as Barcelona, Venice and Lisbon. Menys Turisme, Més Vida believes over-tourism adversely impacts the environment, drains natural resources, and sends long-term rents spiralling, making homes unaffordable for locals. Margalida Ramis, its spokesperson, commented: 'We need to keep up the pressure because we're looking for political decisions that go to the root of the problem, and of course this won't be achieved in one day.' Meanwhile, a 'Welcome to Sollerland' satirical Instagram campaign, that uses stark AI imagery to paint a picture of a saturated Soller in the next decade, has been emulated by several towns across the island, which have set up similar social media profiles. A spokesperson opined: 'We have lived largely off tourism for 80 years, but things have now accelerated. Sollerland uses humour to offer a graphic vision of the drama we live through every day.' So far, local island activists have kept their powder dry about plans for further disruption, but it is likely that there will be a flutter of flash-mobs on a few beaches this summer, plus peaceful demonstrations in Palma. Is a visitor limit on the horizon? For holidaymakers, it seems Majorca's allure remains undiminished, but with unrest amongst residents growing, what might the regional government do to placate them? With tourism providing an estimated GDP of between 40 and 75 per cent, it would be difficult to put the genie back in the bottle, a view backed by Maribel Quirós, owner of Moll restaurant in Port Soller. 'We can't sell Majorca and then complain about it,' she said. 'We have to be coherent.' Marga Prohens, President of the Balearic islands, insists that her party was the first to acknowledge that the archipelago has reached its limits. It is for this reason, she states, that the regional government has created 'a decree to contain tourism that sets limits and prevents further growth in visitor numbers.' Following Spain's demand that Airbnb remove 65,000 illegal short-term holiday rentals from its site, Jaume Bauzà, Minister for Tourism in the Balearics, has pledged to 'continue doing everything possible to combat illegal rentals, which is what truly overwhelms tourism.' Tougher measures will see more inspectors on the beat, with rogue landlords who rent via word of mouth facing huge fines. On the issue of overcrowding during the summer months, the new decree aims to encourage year-round tourism to ease saturation of much-visited haunts. Some are calling for more radical action, however, such as a restriction on the number of arrivals at Palma Airport, a tax and limit on rental cars, and a further decrease in cruise liners docking in the capital. The projection for 2025 is 541 vessels, already a reduction from 2019 when 592 cruise liners were given access. However, the Platform Against Megacruisers would like the current daily limit of three ships and 8,000 passengers reduced further to just one large cruise ship and no more than 4,000 passengers per day. While the polemic continues, Maria del Carmen Peñas de Haro, Director General of Tourism for Calvia Council, Majorca's second largest municipality, which includes Magaluf, remains upbeat: 'Here in Calvia, we welcome countless British visitors, and this year is no exception. 'Tourism is the driving force of the Balearic economy, and we want our holidaymakers to feel completely at home.'