Tourist numbers on Santorini drop as earthquake fears keep visitors away
The main street without many people, alleys that are not crowded with visitors; these are uncommon sights during the summer months in Santorini's capital, Fira.
For the first year since the COVID-19 pandemic, Santorini, one of the most popular Greek islands, is experiencing a decline in tourist traffic.
Earthquake activity on the island earlier this year deterred many international visitors from choosing it for their summer holidays.
In recent weeks, arrivals have been increasing, but the numbers are far short of the highs of previous years.
"In Santorini, available airline seats are down 26% from the beginning of the year to date. But the indications we have in terms of supply of seats are down in the range of 7%-8% for the summer, so we expect a result with losses of 10%-15%," said president of the Association of Greek Tourism Enterprises (SETE), Yannis Paraschis.
The president of the Santorini hoteliers, Antonis Pagoni, told Euronews he estimates a further fall in tourist traffic and warned that the effects will spread throughout the entire Greek economy.
"The president of SETE talked about airport arrivals," he added, "but I will unfortunately say that overall arrivals will be down about 20%-25%. Right now we are moving at -25% to -30%. It's a huge reduction in a destination like Santorini that attracts more than 3 million visitors. You know, it's 10% of Greek tourism. We are not sure if Greece can afford to lose that revenue."
The island's hoteliers are offering discounts on room rates to attract last-minute tourists.
Almost every day three cruise ships stop in Santorini and thousands of visitors get off to admire the island's sights.
The cruise tax, which will finally start to be collected from July, is not expected to affect this year's cruise ship arrivals.
Related
Santorini targeted by fake volcano eruption videos
Black sands and famous sunsets: Top things to do as Santorini reopens after a month of earthquakes
At the same time, the cost of living crisis affecting many parts of the world is also leaving its mark on Santorini.
This year, visitors are more restrained in their spending and this can be seen not only in hotel bookings but also in the alleys of the Greek islands.
According to shop owners, tourists this year are spending significantly less than in previous years, not only on dining but also on buying souvenirs.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Fox News
3 hours ago
- Fox News
Norway joins the tourist tax club as destinations in Europe fight back against visitors
As European cities grapple with overtourism, many have implemented tax hikes on tourists in an effort to curb the throngs of visitors. Norway is the latest European country to introduce a tourist tax, allowing certain cities to introduce a 3% tax on overnight stays in "areas particularly affected by tourism," Euronews reported. Officials passed the levy this past Thursday and will be allowed to adjust the tax percentage based on season. Similar to what's occurred in other vacation destinations, the funds will help tourist infrastructure such as public bathroom facilities and parking areas. Top summer attractions for tourists are places for hiking, places to experience nature such as fjords and mountains, water activities, and beach visits, according to Visit Norway's official site. Many tourists are drawn to Norway to witness the Northern Lights. Cecilie Myrseth, the minister of trade and industry in Norway, noted the "historic agreement" in a Facebook post. "The scheme is voluntary and it applies to areas that have a particularly large [presence] of tourists. The tourism industry is also the future of Norway," Myrseth wrote. It's "an industry that creates housing, happiness, good experiences, value creation and important jobs all over the country," she added. "If the industry wants to grow, we depend on trust locally. We ensure that with this agreement." Other international vacation destinations have implemented taxes in an effort to curb tourism, Fox News Digital has previously reported. The Canary Islands, a group of Spanish islands off the coast of Africa, are seeking to implement a tax that would fund infrastructure projects to handle the numerous tourists that visit. Greek officials, for example, are planning to impose a $22 tax on visitors cruising to Santorini or Mykonos. Venice, Italy introduced a pilot program in 2024 to charge day-trippers a $5.17 (5 euros) entry fee and are now looking to double the tax. And the Maldives in South Asia, known for its clear waters and luxury resorts, has raised a flight tax aimed at tourists leaving the islands.
Yahoo
3 hours ago
- Yahoo
TSA: Costco cards do not count as REAL ID
June 9 (UPI) -- The U.S. Transportation Security Administration is warning travelers of an important piece of airport protocol: Costco membership cards do not count as REAL ID. The TSA, which began enforcing the requirement for REAL ID while traveling last month, said on social media that acceptable substitutes for the state-issued identification cards do not include wholesale warehouse memberships. "We love hot dogs & rotisserie chickens as much as the next person but please stop telling people their Costco card counts as a REAL ID because it absolutely does not," the TSA said on X. The post did not specify what people or entities were spreading the misinformation. Accepted substitutes for REAL ID at U.S. airports include passports, border crossing and permanent resident cards. The REAL ID act was passed in 2005, but implementation was delayed multiple times, most recently in 2022 due to backlogs stemming from the COVID-19 pandemic.
UPI
3 hours ago
- UPI
TSA: Costco cards do not count as REAL ID
The Transportation Security Administration issued a reminder to travelers on social media that Costco membership cards do not count as REAL ID. File Photo by Kevin Dietsch/UPI | License Photo June 9 (UPI) -- The U.S. Transportation Security Administration is warning travelers of an important piece of airport protocol: Costco membership cards do not count as REAL ID. The TSA, which began enforcing the requirement for REAL ID while traveling last month, said on social media that acceptable substitutes for the state-issued identification cards do not include wholesale warehouse memberships. "We love hot dogs & rotisserie chickens as much as the next person but please stop telling people their Costco card counts as a REAL ID because it absolutely does not," the TSA said on X. The post did not specify what people or entities were spreading the misinformation. Accepted substitutes for REAL ID at U.S. airports include passports, border crossing and permanent resident cards. The REAL ID act was passed in 2005, but implementation was delayed multiple times, most recently in 2022 due to backlogs stemming from the COVID-19 pandemic.
