Photo: SHUTTERSTOCK Significant decline in tourism to Santorini. In August 2025, the island, which has been one of the most popular in Greece for decades, recorded a 9.4% decrease in tourist numbers compared to August 2024. This translates to approximately 465,000 tourists versus 514,000 during the same period last year.
According to the data from Fraport, which manages airports in Greece, including Santorini's, there was also an 8.1% decline in the number of flights to the island. Domestic flights decreased by 4.7% and international flights by 10.4%, bringing the total to about 2,000 flights compared to more than 2,013 in August 2024. It should be noted that these figures do not include cruise tourism, which is significant for the island.
Photo: SHUTTERSTOCKThe summarizing data from the beginning of 2025 indicate a real trend. From January to August 2025 (inclusive), 1.7 million tourists visited Santorini, compared to 2.05 million in the same period last year. This is the sharpest decline among Greece's tourist destinations.
It can be assumed the main reason for the significant drop in tourist numbers last month and in this year's accumulated data is the earthquakes that struck the island, one of the most popular, in the first three months of 2025.
Although the quakes were not particularly strong and did not cause damage to the island, their duration over three months raised global interest and extensive media coverage, leading senior Greek officials to visit the island to assure the public that vacations there are safe. Additionally, significant resources were invested in a campaign to boost tourism to Santorini, but the figures show that tourists were hesitant and chose other destinations.