FedHATTA/ HATTA | International tour operators get to know Crete
The 1st World Meeting of WTAAA, which took place in Athens and Crete from 6 to 11 November 2024, culminated in a visit of leading representatives of the global tour operator market to Crete. The tour operators had the chance to meet local representatives and tourism professionals, get to know the destination and be enchanted by Greek hospitality. The trip was organized by FedHATTA and HATTA.
The tour of Crete began on Saturday, November 9, with the arrival of the delegation in Heraklion. The mission was led by HATTA Vice President and Acting General Secretary of FedHATTA, Marios Kammenos. The delegates were given a tour of the Archaeological Site of Knossos, and then headed to the Boutari Winery, to experience local wines and learn more about Crete, in an event coordinated by Theodoros Mylonakis of MTS.
Georgios Sfakianakis, President of the Pancretan Association of Hotel Managers, gave a presentation of Destination Crete. Also participating to represent Cretan tourism were the Deputy Mayor for Finance & Development of Heraklion, Georgios Agrimanakis, the President of the Heraklion Hoteliers’ Association, Nikos Chalkiadakis, the President of the Cretan Winemakers’ Network, Stelios Zacharioudakis, and the President of the Crete Tourist Bus Association, Stratos Magousakis. In the evening, the municipality of Heraklion hosted a dinner for the visiting tour operators at the same venue.
The tour continued on Sunday, November 10, in Rethymno, with a visit to the town hall, where the delegates were welcomed by the Mayor, Georgios Marinakis, and the former Deputy Mayor for Tourism, Pepi Birliraki, and a constructive discussion followed.
The day’s activities were coordinated by the president of the Rethymno Hoteliers Association, Manolis Tsakalakis.
Later, the delegation visited Margarites Mylopotamos, a village known for its pottery making, where the delegates tasted tsikoudia and local delicacies. They then headed to Ancient Eleftherna and were given a tour of the area’s museum, which includes finds from the archaeological site.
The tour continued to the Arkadi Monastery where the delegation learned about the history and significance of this location, and then to the Rethymno Town Hall and the Old Town where a guided tour took place. Afterwards, the delegates had the opportunity to tour and discover the area on their own.
On the same day, the Rethymno Hoteliers’ Association hosted the group for a lunch of Cretan delicacies and wine varieties, along with plenty of tsikoudia. They left with goody bags stuffed with olive oil, tsikoudia, honey, rusks, Cretan herbs and information leaflets, as a gift from the Hoteliers’ Association and the Municipality of Rethymno. The lunch was also attended by the Vice President of the Rethymno Hoteliers’ Association, Nikos Koumnas, as well as representatives of the tourism agency sector, Ioannis Galanakis, president of the Rethymno Tourist Offices Association, and Giorgos Avgeris. Greetings were delivered by the former Deputy Minister of Tourism, Sofia Zacharaki.
