Santorini: tourism is changing, mayor assesses

The «Ifaisteia 2026» cultural events of the Municipality of Thira culminated over the weekend of 19 and 20 September 2026, with a spectacular re-enactment of the volcanic eruption, and concluded on Sunday, 20 September, with a concert by Giorgos Dalaras, according to a report by Ta Nea on 21 September 2026. In this context, the mayor of Thira, Nikos Zorzos, spoke to the Athens-Macedonian News Agency (ANA-MPA) about the course of the tourist season, which continues through October.

As the mayor noted, the season has so far been unfolding at good levels and tourist traffic has not declined compared to last year. This is his own assessment of a picture still in progress, not measured data: official figures for this year’s season had not been published at the time of the interview, nor does the report cite numbers for arrivals, occupancy, or spending per visitor. Any assessment of how the year is going therefore remains preliminary. The mayor also did not specify to what extent traffic is split between overnight stays and day visits, a factor that, in island destinations, significantly changes the local economic footprint.

What has changed, as Mr Zorzos explained, is not so much the volume of traffic as the environment in which the destination now operates. The supply of accommodation on the island has increased, travellers’ financial means have shifted, and the markets of origin as well as travel choices are diversifying. The mayor described the issue as «multifactorial», placing it in the context of geopolitical developments and the international economic climate. He did not name specific new markets the destination is turning to, nor did he cite percentage changes for the island’s accommodation supply.

In the same remarks, Mr Zorzos also referred to the image that had formed of Santorini in previous years through a series of negative reports, considering it another factor affecting how prospective visitors perceive the island. According to the mayor, the picture of the season so far does not reflect a decline in demand, but rather a tourism market that is evolving and adapting to new conditions, both in terms of visitor composition and how they organise their trips. The season continues through October, and the official figures, once published, will form the next reference point for assessing the year in the Cyclades. It has not been made known when the aggregate figures for the season are expected, nor whether the Municipality of Thira will publish its own assessment after the season ends.