The recent earthquakes on the Greek island of Santorini, a very popular destination for tourists in Greece and throughout the Mediterranean, are causing many foreign tourists, concerned for their safety, to change their travel plans and in many cases opt for alternative destinations such as Turkey, according to industry representatives.
According to the Turkish news agency Anatolia, many tourists are cancelling their reservations in Santorini or other nearby Aegean islands due to fears of earthquakes or a possible volcanic eruption in the region, despite the fact that tremors have decreased in recent weeks, and are choosing alternative destinations in Turkey instead, where reservations are increasing, according to Mehmet Işler, vice-president of the Turkish Hoteliers Federation (TÜROFED).
‘Of course, we don’t want disasters like this to happen, but there is fear of earthquakes, especially in Santorini. As two countries that share the same sea and the same sun, we see that bookings (in Greece) are shifting towards destinations in the Muğla region,’ Işler explained.
Bodrum, Fethiye and Marmaris are some of the most popular destinations in the Turkish province of Muğla, but many tourists also opt for well-known destinations in Turkey such as Antalya, or even other countries such as Egypt, where bookings are also increasing. ‘This new profile of tourist, who has not visited Turkey before, represents an opportunity for us. We can turn this to our advantage by offering a high-quality service at a competitive price. We are now facing a new market and a new portfolio of clients’, he said.
For his part, Orhan Belge, president of the Association of Hoteliers and Tour Operators of Çeşme (Izmir), confirmed that the tourism sector in Greece and especially in the Aegean islands is facing significant problems after the earthquakes in Santorini, especially with regard to early bookings. ‘The increase in advance bookings shows that tourists are switching from Greece to Turkey… Çeşme has it all: sea, sun and sand, history, festivals and gastronomy. 2025 will be a good year for Çeşme,’ concluded Belge.
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Edited and reviewed by:
Pablo Gómez is a specialist in Turkey and has been editor-in-chief of Hispanatolia since 2011. He has been analysing current affairs and geopolitics in Turkey and the surrounding region since 2006.
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