- Santorini hotel bookings are improving despite a slow start in the early months of the year.
- April and May remain challenging, but tourist arrivals are expected to normalize by summer.
- A €1 million communication campaign aims to spotlight Santorini in global markets.
- Foreign journalists are being invited to promote the island as a safe destination.
Santorini is busting the cobwebs of a difficult start to the year. Hotels and accommodation facilities are opening their doors just in time for Easter, restoring some much-needed regularity. According to Antonis Pagonis, the head of the Santorini Hoteliers’ Association cited by OT.gr, many businesses are eager to welcome visitors even with a rough start to the year.
Let’s not sugarcoat things, though—right now, bookings aren’t exactly shattering records. Although the first few months of the year have already seen a 20-25% decline, Santorini hotel bookings for the peak months seem encouraging. Mr. Pagonis is not, however, losing sleep. With April and May functioning as transient obstacles, he expects the summer rush will provide balance.
Rebuilding Tourist Confidence with Journalists and Cash
It’s not all wishful thinking; Santorini’s tourism board seems to have a strategy—shocking, right? The first business is an unrelenting PR assault overseas. Supported by about €1 million, a communication effort is scheduled to start, partly sponsored by municipal money and the Greek National Tourism Organization.
More importantly, they are flying in foreign reporters to see how personally visitor-ready and safe Santorini is. This is a wise action, particularly considering how quickly rumors tend to travel relative to boat timings. If prospective guests discover the island is not collapsing or beset with problems, their confidence might be rebuilt.
Lessons from Rhodes
Hotel guests on the island are also drawing cues from Rhodes’ playbook. Rhodes managed to turn things around so drastically after terrible fires in 2023; it completed the year with higher arrivals. The hospitality industry in Santorini aims to duplicate that incredible comeback.
Right now, the attitude is good; the recent visit from Tourism Minister Olga Kefalogianni only heightens the hope. Mr. Pagonis, eager for the government’s attempt to revitalize the local tourism sector, has openly praised the steps revealed.
Though Santorini is not yet blazing on all cylinders, the gears are beginning to turn. The island seems resolved to recover with an action plan in place and indications of improvement approaching peak season. If nothing else, they’ll ride the coattails of Rhodes’ so-called “miracle” and see where this year leads them. Let the bookings come in, or at least trickle for now.
