Greece’s famous tourism island, Santorini, is welcoming its first visitors following thousands of devastating earthquakes. The year’s first tourist cruise ship has reached the island. Concerns had arisen that the tourism season would be dull after the declaration of the state of emergency on the island. The cruise ship named Celestyal Discovery docked at the island with its 1,700 guests.

Greece’s famous tourism island, Santorini, is opening its doors to its first visitors since thousands of minor earthquakes shook the island in February. Following the declaration of a state of emergency on the island, thousands of people had to flee due to the earthquakes, sparking concerns that the tourism season would be subdued. On Sunday, the first passenger ship of the year reached the island.

EARTHQUAKES CAUSING CONCERN IN SANTORINI Millions of tourists flock to Santorini every year. The unprecedented increase in seismic activity, even in a country prone to earthquakes like Greece, prompted authorities to close schools, halt constructions, and send rescue teams to the island.

FIRST CRUISE SHIP On Sunday morning, the cruise ship called Celestyal Discovery docked in the sparkling Aegean waters off Santorini, carrying about 1,700 tourists, most of whom are Americans. Earlier this month, Celestyal Cruises had removed Santorini from its list of destinations. Tourist, 67-year-old Deborah Terry, said, “It’s exciting to know that the island is open to visitors again and we’re the first to go there.” “TRUST IN TOURISM BOARD” Another passenger, Julie Eberly, expressed confidence in the safety of the island, stating, “We trust the tourism board here, so if they say it’s safe to come, we’ll come with open arms.” ECONOMY RELIES HEAVILY ON TOURISM Santorini, an island with a population of about 20,000, took its current form after one of history’s largest volcanic eruptions around 1600 B.C. The island hosts around 2.5 million tourists annually, and its economy is almost entirely dependent on tourism. The locals pin their economic hopes on the return of visitors. BLACK CLOUDS LIFTING Tassos Kontos, a shop owner on the island, expressed hope that everything would return to normal and people would come back. “The clouds seem to be lifting,” he said. Following the earthquakes, there were no reports of significant damage on the island. However, officials announced that if a larger earthquake occurs, they will establish an evacuation port to facilitate the safe escape of people.