Following thousands of devastating earthquakes, Greece’s famous tourist island Santorini is welcoming its first visitors. The first tourist cruise ship of the year has reached the island. Concerns had risen about a lackluster tourism season after the declaration of a state of emergency on the island. The cruise ship named Celestyal Discovery docked on the island along with its 1,700 passengers.

Greece’s sought-after tourist destination Santorini is opening its doors to its first visitors after a series of minor earthquakes in February. The island was put under a state of emergency, causing thousands to flee due to the earthquakes, raising concerns about a lackluster tourism season. On Sunday, the first passenger ship of the year arrived on the island.

TENSIONS EASED BY EARTHQUAKES IN SANTORINI Millions of tourists flock to Santorini every year. The unprecedented seismic activity, even in a country like Greece prone to earthquakes, led officials to close schools, halt construction, and send rescue teams to the island.

FIRST CRUISE SHIP ARRIVAL On Sunday morning, the cruise ship named Celestyal Discovery docked in the glistening waters off Santorini, carrying about 1,700 passengers, mostly Americans. Earlier this month, Celestyal Cruises had removed Santorini from its list. Tourist, Deborah Terry, 67, said, “It’s exciting to know the island is open to visitors again and that we are the first to go.” “TRUSTING TOURISM BOARD” Another passenger, Julie Eberly, expressed confidence in the safety of the island, saying, “We trust the tourism board here, so if they say it’s safe to come, we’d come with open arms.” HEAVILY RELIANT ON TOURISM Santorini, a island of around 20,000 residents, took its present form after one of the largest volcanic eruptions in history around 1600 BC. The island hosts approximately 2.5 million tourists every year, with its economy almost entirely reliant on tourism. The local community is pinning its hopes on visitors returning for economic stability. DARK CLOUDS LIFTING Tassos Kontos, a shop owner on the island, said, “We all hope things will get back to normal, and that people will return. The skies seem to be clearing.” While no significant damage was reported on the island after the earthquakes, officials announced they would set up an evacuation harbor to facilitate the safe escape of people in the event of a bigger earthquake.