- Santorini launches “Santorini 2025: Year of Promoting and Supporting Authenticity”. GTP Headlines
- Campaign funding includes at least €1 million via a new Destination Management & Marketing Organisation (DMMO) plus a €600,000 digital campaign budget by the Region of South Aegean. Argophilia
- Promotion aims to highlight local culture, taste, and landscape — while facing tension between glossy marketing and everyday tourist experience.
- The irony: “authenticity” now comes with planners, budgets, and broad digital targeting.
Budget Spotlight
The Municipality of Thira and Greece’s Greek National Tourism Organization (GNTO) approved the campaign to refresh the island’s image beyond postcards. GTP Headlines
As reported, the DMMO for Santorini was endowed with €1 million in funding to oversee strategy and promotion. Argophilia
Additionally, the Region of South Aegean launched a €600,000 digital campaign targeting major markets (US, UK, France, Italy, Germany, Switzerland, Austria, Poland) via advanced tools, including programmatic ads, AdSmart TV, and influencer marketing. GTP Headlines
That means at least €1.6 million in direct promo spend — before infrastructure or local community initiatives.
Reality Check: Culture, Tours, and Sunset Views
According to commentary in the Greek press:
“It’s time for Santorini to shift its focus from quantity to quality… Now we want experiences beyond the famous views.” — Mayor Nikos Zorzos tovima.com
The campaign emphasises five key themes: Culture, Tastes, Experiences, Landscape, and Volcanic Park. GTP Headlines
Video promotions spotlight lesser-known aspects, including traditional architecture, wine-making, the donkey, chapel scenes, and volcanic geology. tovima.com
Yet for many visitors, Santorini remains the dramatic caldera, the sunset in Oia, the cruise-ship crowds. The tension lies in selling authenticity — while still accommodating mass inflows.
The Cost of Authenticity and Its Caveats
Spending big on marketing gives the island visibility — but it raises several questions:
- Will higher promo spend lead to a deeper visitor experience, or simply bigger visitor numbers?
- Does “authenticity” scale when an island becomes more expensive, more marketed, more known?
- Are local communities involved meaningfully — or merely a backdrop for another campaign?
- The infrastructure to support authenticity (for example, preserving traditional villages, managing visitor flow to avoid overtourism) often lags behind promotional budgets.
As one comment in Argophilia put it:
“A million-euro lemon-stand for Santorini? … Throwing money at something is one thing; tracking where it goes is another.” Argophilia
What it Means Going Forward
For travellers: They may receive slicker messaging, deeper-looking tours, and more “authentic”-tagged options. But they might also face higher prices, more structured experiences, and less of the spontaneous local feel.
For the destination, Santorini is repositioning itself as more than just a sunset stop. If successful, it could shift the narrative to shoulder-season stays, culture/wine travelers, not just beach and sun seekers.
For locals: An increased budget and management may bring benefits — but also higher expectations. Local voices may need to ensure the benefit flows through the community, not just the promotional machine.
