Is earthquake activity deterring tourists from Santorini?
Santorini may welcome fewer tourists this summer after earthquake activity earlier in the year appears to have deterred visitors from booking holidays to the Greek hotspot.
Tourist traffic has reportedly declined on the popular Cycladic island in the wake of thousands of tremors throughout January and February.
In February, the whitewashed villages of Santorini were rattled by high seismic activity, and incessant tremors emptied towns of residents and tourists.
A state of emergency was declared by Greek authorities for at least a month as the Greek prime minister urged residents to stay calm.
Yannis Paraschis, president of the Association of Greek Tourism Enterprises (SETE) said that available airline seats are down 26 per cent from the beginning of the year, reported Euronews.
Although numbers have improved in the build-up to peak summer travel, visitor footfall remains down on previous years.
Mr Paraschis added: 'The indications we have in terms of supply of seats are down in the range of 7 to 8 per cent for the summer, so we expect a result with losses of 10 to 15 per cent.'
It is the first year Santorini has reported a drop in tourist numbers since the pandemic in 2020.
Santorini welcomed an estimated 3.4 million visitors in 2024.
Antonis Pagoni, president of the Santorini hoteliers, told Euronews that overall arrivals on the island have fallen between 20 and 30 per cent.
'It's a huge reduction in a destination like Santorini that attracts more than 3 million visitors," said Mr Pagoni.
'You know, it's 10 per cent of Greek tourism. We are not sure if Greece can afford to lose that revenue."
The UK Foreign Office (FCDO) advise tourists travelling to Greece: 'The area around the Cycladic islands of Santorini (Thira), Anafi, Ios and Amorgos, experienced increased earthquake activity in early 2025. This increase has since subsided and the tourist season is expected to continue as usual.'
It warns holidaymakers to familiarise themselves with earthquake safety procedures and follow the advice from local authorities.
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