Santorini fears for summer tourist season as earthquakes hit island

February coincides with the informal start of the tourism season on the Greek island of Santorini – when the first cruise ships and Easter holidays are approached.

But with the interest of thousands of earthquakes in the island since January and the experts are unable to determine when Matthewyun has already turned one cruise and there are fears that the most important island industry may face a difficult year.

“In the past two days, we have seen a decrease in reservations, but we hope this is short -term,” says Antonis Bagonis, head of the Greek Hotel Association in Greece.

But even if tourists do not choose to go elsewhere this year, hotels still face the possibility of no sufficient employees to serve their guests in the summer.

Santorini – one of the most visited Greek islands – depends on the seasonal workers from other parts of Greece and abroad, who help the permanent population of more than 15,000 to serve tens of thousands of tourists on the island every day in the peak season.

But uncertainty about how tremors affect tourist numbers forced some workers to reconsider their options this summer.

“It isn’t that I am afraid of earthquakes – Santorini is always shaking,” says Manus, who spent the past five summer work as a waiter on the island.

His job is required, as crowds are swollen during the tourist peak season, but financial rewards have always made attention. This year is afraid to be.

“I am worried that there will be no enough tourists. If the season is weak, I may not earn much money, or they may not need all the summer. I cannot bear this danger.”

Instead, Manos says he has held a job in Corfu and will not return to Santorini this year.

And not only in the summer that the island requires a temporary workforce – it’s now time for construction workers to renew hotels before the summer.

This work has stopped due to safety fears about earthquakes, and hotel owners – anxious that workers will go to another place – are pressing for the government to continue to pay most of their salaries until the work begins again.

“We have made a series of proposals to the government to support both the current workforce on the island and those looking to work during the season,” says Mr. Bajonis.

He adds that the government has responded positively, but “it remains to see whether these measures will be implemented.”

While the Greek authorities rushed to respond to the risks posed by tremors – the situation of rescue teams in Santorini and the introduction of an emergency to accelerate aid – some argue in the tourism industry that this must be followed up by investing in the island’s infrastructure.

“The challenges will not disappear as soon as the earthquakes stop,” says Margareta Karamoligko, who has four hotels in Santorini.

“During the season, Al -Jazeera sees 70,000 workers and 160,000 visitors per day. While the country has quickly acted in response to the earthquake, we have long been asking improvements like the new port.”

There are also calls for tougher regulations on private rental real estate, which may not meet the same safety standards in which Al Jazeera hotels are.

Santorini represents about 2.5 % of Greek GDP (GDP), generating an estimated 5.9 billion euros (4.9 billion pounds) annually.

Although there is no cancellation yet, hotel owners report a decrease in reservations, and industry specialists warn that if the situation continues for another month, the effect on companies may be severe.

During a visit to the island on Friday, Prime Minister Kiriacos Mitsotakis acknowledged the importance of protecting Santorini’s reputation, describing it as a “creative tourist destination” and saying: “It is our duty to protect it, maintain its reputation, and make sure that 2025 is another excellent year for tourism.”

Mrs. Karameligco, whose four hotels employs 120 employees, recognizes the challenges and admits that if the tremors continue for a longer period, she may have to delay the opening of her hotels and companies. But it is still optimistic about the future of the most important industry on the island.

“We have been in this work for decades, we have been working at the highest level. I am sure that even with fewer employees, our services will remain exceptional.”