Santorini is afraid for the summer tourist season when earthquakes hit an island

February marks the unofficial start to the tourist season of the Greek island of Santorini – when the first cruise ships are to arrive and approach the Easter holidays.

But with thousands of earthquakes that have shaken the island in January and experts who cannot say when they will end, a cruise has already turned and there are fears that the most important industry on the island can be faced with a difficult year.

“We have seen a decline in reservations in the last two days, but we hope it will be short -lived,” says Antonis Pagonis, president of the Greece Hotel Association.

But even if tourists do not choose to go elsewhere this year, the hotels are still facing the prospect of not having enough staff to serve their guests, they come in summer.

Santorini – one of the most visited islands of Greece – relies heavily on seasonal workers from other parts of Greece and abroad, which help the permanent population of just over 15,000 to serve tens of thousands of tourists on the island every day in the peak season.

But uncertainty about how tremor would affect tourist numbers, forced some workers to review their capabilities this summer.

“Not that I’m afraid of earthquakes – Santorini is always shaking,” says Manos, who has spent the last five summers working as a bartender on the island.

His work is demanding, with crowds that swell during the peak tourist season, but the financial awards have always deserved it. This year he is afraid that this will not be the case.

“I’m worried that there will be not enough tourists. If the season is weak, I may not make that much money, or they may not need me all summer long. I can’t take that risk.”

Instead, Manos says he has taken work in Corfu and will not return to Santorini this year.

Not only in the summer the island requires temporary workforce – now is the time when construction workers are needed to renovate hotels before summer.

This job is reasonable because of the safety concerns about earthquakes, and hotel owners are concerned that workers will go elsewhere – urging the government to continue paying the bigger part of their salary until work can start again.

“We have presented a series of government proposals to support both the existing workforce on the island and those who want to work during the season,” says G -N Pagonis.

He added that the government responded positively, but “it remains to be seen if these measures will be implemented.”

While the Greek authorities were in a hurry to respond to the risks caused by tremors – the placement of Santorini rescue teams and the introduction of a state of assumption – some of the tourism industry claim that this should be followed by investments in the infrastructure of the island on the island Island on the island, which should be followed by investments in the island’s island’s island island.

“The challenges will not disappear after earthquakes stop,” says Margarita Karamolegu, who owns four hotels in Santorini.

“During the season, the island sees 70,000 workers and 160,000 visitors a day. While the state has acted quickly in response to the earthquake, we have long wanted improvements as a new port.”

There are also calls for further provisions on private rental property that may not meet the same safety standards as the island hotels.

Santorini represents about 2.5% of Greece’s gross domestic product (GDP), generating approximately EUR 5.9 billion (4.9 billion British pounds) annually.

Although there has been no cancellation so far, hoteliers report a decline in reservations and industry professionals warn that if the situation continues for another month, the impact on business can be difficult.

During a visit to the island on Friday, Prime Minister Kiriakos Mitotakis acknowledged the importance of protecting Santorini’s reputation, describing it as “an emblematic tourist destination” and saying: “It is our duty to protect it, to maintain our reputation and to ensure that 2025 is another excellent year for tourism.

Karamolegkou, whose four hotels work 120 employees, admits the challenges and acknowledges that if the tremor lasts much longer, it may need to delay the opening of its hotels and business. But it remains optimistic about the future of the most important industry on the island.

“We have been in this business for decades, operating at the highest level. I am sure that even with less staff, our services will remain exceptional.”