Santorini is a very famous island, located in the Southern Aegean Sea in Greece. It belongs to the Cyclades group of islands.
Santorini, which is a quite expensive island, has recently evolved into an important all year round destination due to the dramatic increase of the arrivals of Asian tourists and especially Chinese tourists.
What I am about to tell you now is not based only on abstract knowledge but also on my personal observations, since I have been to the island several times. In fact, Santorini is one of my favourite Greek islands.
So what can someone do in order to earn some money on Santorini? What kind of business should he or she open there?
- Transportation Services
An obvious kind of business that somebody could open in Santorini is a business that provides transportation services. Although there are buses on Santorini, if someone wants to enjoy the best beaches of the island and to visit the sites at his/her own pace, he/she will certainly appreciate the luxury of having a car with a driver. This is especially true if we are talking about families and large groups.
- Private Tour Guide
The previous business can easily be combined with private tour guides since Santorini has several places to explore, even though it is a small island. For this business you will need multilingual personnel and knowledge of the hidden beauties of this marvelous island.
- Yacht Leasing
Thirasia and the other small islands very close to Santorini, the magnificent volcanic scenery and its proximity to other beautiful Greek islands, like Ios, the famous party island, make Santorini an ideal place for establishing a yacht leasing business. A business like this will satisfy the needs of higher classes of society who tend to seek comfort and luxury.
- A Wedding Planning Business
Since Santorini is an extremely popular place for weddings, especially among Asian people, a wedding planning business on the volcanic island would be a clever idea. This situation creates also a lot of opportunities for DJs, chefs and waiters.
- Construction and Renovation of Hotels and Other Buildings
The extended tourist season, the increasing number of tourists, as well as the harsh environment of a Cycladic island, takes its toll on the buildings. As a result, a lot of hotels and restaurants require renovation. This creates opportunities for civil engineers, architects and builders.
Nonetheless, the person who will decide to establish a business on Santorini or even work there should take into consideration that Greece isn’t such a friendly place for starting a new business. A slow bureaucracy and an unstable and complicated tax system are only some of the problems that a businessman would face while trying to start a business in Greece.
And although these things can be a deterrent for a lot of people, it is also absolutely true that at this very moment many others make a decent living or even have a lucrative business on the magnificent island.
A lot of them had just a simple idea that worked because they were at the right place at the right time, and put the necessary effort in order to achieve their goals.
