Santorini stabilizes as experts reassure, Turkish tourism eyes record year in Aegean
Aerial view of Marmaris in Mugla, Türkiye. (Adobe Stock Photo)
As safety concerns over recent earthquakes in Santorini ease and experts reduce the likelihood of a major 6.0 magnitude tremor, the clouds over Aegean tourism lift, further expected to propel Türkiye’s tourism sector toward a record-breaking year.
The high frequency of smaller earthquakes—Santorini has experienced over a thousand minor tremors in a single day—has effectively released seismic energy in the region, according to Eythymis Lekkas, a professor of natural disasters, who spoke to greekcitytimes.com.
Highlighting that the average magnitude of earthquakes has now fallen below 3.0, Lekkas asserted that this trend indicates a move toward greater stability, with no prolonged seismic sequences expected.
Meanwhile, Türkiye’s tourism sector is also optimistic about the upcoming holiday season, anticipating a record-breaking year, with the Aegean region playing a leading role.
Turkish side of Aegean remains resilient, poised for record year
Speaking to Türkiye Today, Huseyin Kurt, chairman of the International MICE Industry Association, recalled that the recent earthquakes had sparked widespread fear on Santorini, leading approximately 10,000 residents to leave the island.
However, with concerns now subsiding, many have begun returning home, and tourism facilities on Santorini and neighboring islands are resuming operations in preparation for the holiday season.
Kurt emphasized that the seismic activity in Santorini had little impact on Türkiye’s Aegean tourism, pointing to a surge in early bookings, which have increased by up to 20% this year.
“Early bookings have been rising every year since the end of the pandemic,” Kurt said.
He indicated that positive news about the safety of the Aegean region is expected to drive even greater demand.
“These developments won’t lead to an immediate increase in hotel and tour reservations in terms of sales volume or pricing, but as confidence in the region grows with more positive news, such changes are expected to follow,” he forecasted.
Referring to the sector’s 2025 targets for the Aegean region, Kurt expressed confidence that Türkiye’s tourism industry is on track to achieve its goal of 65 million tourists and $65 billion in revenue. He added that the country’s tourism boom is likely to continue in the coming years.
