The first cruises arrive in Santorini after the earthquakes

His arrival was an event after several weeks in which, due to a tectonic phenomenon known as ‘seismic swarm’, the Hellenic authorities had to declare the Emergency state on the island Due to the problems after the landslide in many areas, including the boiler, and the high risk of an earthquake whose magnitude exceeds 5.5 on the Richter scale and a tsunami.

The phenomenon, which is known as seismic swarmis characterized because, unlike a typical earthquake, where a main tremor is followed by replicas, multiple low intensity tremors are produced in a concrete geographical area and in a short period of time. Normally, this phenomenon is generated when there is volcanic activity and the case of Santorini has not been an exception: according to experts, the growth of the magma of the magma of the Kolumbo underwater volcanonortheast of the island, produced the entrance of Magma into the tectonic structures close to the mood failure.

“Santorini works again normally,” he announced a few days ago Olga KefaloyaniMinister of Tourism of Greece during an interview with the CNN in which she sent a message of tranquility for those who are doubting whether to visit the place during the high tourism season.

Massive exodus

In early February, and before the intense seismic activity, More than half of the islanders left the island and took refuge in Athens and other cities of continental Greece. For weeks, the schools remained closed, access to certain parts of the island was limited and mass events in closed spaces were prohibited.

The photographs of the completely empty alleys went around the world, on an island that is accustomed to images of the long lines in the cable car that communicates the port with the capital of Santorini; The sunsets in Oiawhere there is no pin, or the traffic jams in the poor road network of the insula, in which half a thousand coaches circulate, 4,000 minibuses and vans, and a hundred Quads, in addition to the vehicles of the residents themselves and the rental vehicles themselves.

In Santorini resides 15,550 people (although in winter this number is reduced considerably). According to a report by the Ombudsman published last summer, every year the island receives 5.5 million tourists, of which 1.3 million arrive in cruise. According to the Union of Ports of Greece (Elime, for its acronym in Greek), the year 2024 was key to the cruises, with an increase of 5,490 and 7,927,709 cruise members to Greece, registering an increase 260 arrivals of ships and 924,559 of visitors compared to 2023. Last summer, the massive arrival of tourists took to PANOS KAVALISCouncilor of Santorini, to ask the islanders, through their profiles in social networks, to reduce their displacements on the day prior to the arrival of 17,000 tourists to the island.

During the months of July and August, when there is the greatest arrival of tourists by air and sea, the management of the water resources of the island, whipped for years by the extreme drought, as well as the collection of waste and the problems with the electricity supply, are a real headache for the local authorities. Therefore, Nikos Zorzosmayor of Santorini, requested last year the Reduction of the number of visitors who arrive on cruises to the islandand the Greek prime minister has announced that, during the strong months of this year’s tourist season, the cruise members who wish to visit Santorini and Miconos – the two islands of the archipelago of the cycles that most suffer the consequences of a hypermasified tourism – must pay a special rate of 20 euros, while the rate in the rest of the islands will be 5 euros.

Despite the restrictions, the ELIME provides a 10% increase in the arrival of cruises of 10% for this 2025, since everything points that the volcanic and seismic phenomena recorded on the island will mean a new incentive that will attract dozens of tourists from all over the world.