“Authentic travel experiences all year round in Crete”
Renewing his term of office in the Region of Crete, Mr. Stavros Arnaoutakis talks to GR Traveller about his tourism development plan for the coming years and why Crete is the ideal holiday destination for Greeks in autumn.
What are the objectives of the development plan for the next four years as regards tourism?
In previous years, we highlighted the brand name “Crete”, continuing the tourism campaign “Incredible Crete: the island inside you!”, promoting the island in 180 countries. The 25 international awards that the Region has won since 2014 prove the strength of our tourism campaign, while the 5 million visitors annually and the
35,000 new jobs, confirming that tourism in Crete is on solid foundations. We have participated in dozens of international exhibitions, we have emphasized the
prolonging the tourist season, while Crete, with its major sporting events, European and world championships, occupies one of the highest positions as a sporting destination. We used smart ways of promoting the island’s tourist product, through the partnership of research and scientific institutions. In the next four years we will continue to implement a regional tourism policy, in parallel with the national one, with the first positive results in the extension of the tourist season, the promotion and promotion of new thematic forms, the opening of new dynamic foreign markets and the attraction of investments with a focus on high quality. Building on what we have achieved so far, we continue even more dynamically in the coming years to strengthen the international identity and image of our island as a unique, globally attractive
destination that offers authentic travel experiences 365 days a year in the wider Mediterranean region. Responding to global trends, we attempt, through the use of modern means and tools available to technology, to promote Crete in the most modern and effective way in the target markets. At the same time, we are introducing and utilizing all modern methods that are part of a dynamic field of development in the tourism sector, in order to make the business and investment framework even more friendly. We want to create the conditions for businesses to acquire the necessary skills and tools and
ensure that they are strongly competitive, fully meeting the ever-increasing demands of visitors. The main pillars of our tourism strategy remain the refinement of the regional strategy to make the best possible use of new funding opportunities and the alignment of our priorities with the investment priorities and the planned actions of the NSRF.
How do you plan to attract more Greek travellers to your region?
The Region of Crete attaches great importance to domestic tourism, not only for the summer holiday period, but also during the rest of the year, e.g. for short breaks and excursions during autumn, winter or spring. We also emphasise the comparative advantages and diversification of the Cretan tourist product. We create the basis for experience tourism by developing unique, attractive experiences of an experiential nature that act as ambassadors of the Cretan tourism product, through the exploitation of elements of Crete’s tourism offer, such as history, religion, culture, sightseeing, environment, products, activities, traditions, food, lifestyle, etc.
Tell us five reasons for Greek travellers to visit Crete this autumn.
Every corner of Crete, every village, every town, from Zakros to Elafonissi and from Gramvousa to Ierapetra, is a unique experience for the visitor. It is these images that for centuries now, make up a unique setting. A multidimensional mosaic that is complemented with the elements of our culture, our Christian tradition, our customs, our gastronomy, our natural landscape. Particularly during the autumn months, the good climatic conditions, the high level of services, the level of prices, combined with the traditions and customs of Crete during this period and the Cretan hospitality, make up the setting of a tourist destination that perfectly meets the needs of
of the Greek who wants to travel to our island.
