With substantial contributions and the participation of tourism market representatives and institutional bodies, the July General Assembly of the Pancretan Association of Hotel Managers took place on Thursday, July 24, 2025, in Chania. The event was hosted at Caldera Creta Paradise in Gerani, in an atmosphere of outstanding hospitality and professionalism.
Priorities of Crete’s Tourism Sector in Focus
The event brought to light the priorities of Crete’s tourism sector through a series of insightful presentations focused on strategic planning, sustainable development, collaborative efforts, and the dynamic promotion of Crete in international markets.
Key Presentations
Emmanouil Stamatakis, President of the Chania Hotel Association and the Cretan Hotel Federation, outlined the core pillars of Crete’s tourism strategy. He emphasized the role of the federation in operating with transparency, consistency, and vision. He specifically highlighted the Marketing Greece initiative, a collaboration between Aegean, Fraport Greece, Eurobank, the Greek National Tourism Organization (GNTO), and the Region of Crete, aiming to enhance Chania’s international tourism image.
Emmanouil Tsakalakis, President of the Rethymno Hotel Association, addressed the challenges of sustainable tourism development on the island and stressed the need for strategic interventions and coordinated actions.
Kyriakos Kotsoglou, Deputy Regional Governor of Tourism and E-Governance of the Region of Crete, presented the 2024–2025 Operational Program for Crete, built around seven pillars: famous, diverse, resilient, collaborative, holistic, sustainable, and authentic, under the vision “Crete Everywhere.”
Spyros Balantinos, Regional Councilor, focused on gastronomic tourism, emphasizing the island’s food heritage as a vital part of Crete’s culture and identity. He also spotlighted Crete’s bid for the title “European Region of Gastronomy 2026”, a move that could boost international recognition of the island’s cuisine and food production.
International Markets and Industry Insights
Lefteris Aggelakis presented the work of Films 2 Do, a company specializing in film production and tourism promotion.
Anastasios Chatziliamis from Destination One highlighted the critical role of collaboration between travel agents and hotel managers in delivering a successful tourism experience. He characterized the current season as “good and stable,” noting strong performance in destinations such as Rhodes, Kos, and Corfu.
Katerina Koliadima, Purchasing Manager at TUI Group, pointed out the trend shift from early bookings to last-minute reservations. She also described TUI’s dual role—commercial and social, through its TUI Care Foundation, which supports sustainable tourism initiatives in 25 countries.
Representing the Scandinavian market, Andreas Avgoustinakis of Nordic Leisure Travel Group described August as a “challenging” month due to a heavy reliance on last-minute bookings.
Legal Updates and Hotelier Rights
A particularly notable presentation came from lawyer Nasos Fanos, an expert in European law, who analyzed the EU Digital Markets Act (DMA). He focused on the new rights of hoteliers in relation to large intermediary platforms (gatekeepers), highlighting practical changes in digital collaborations and the need for hoteliers to take action to protect their interests.
Spirit of Collaboration and Exchange
The assembly concluded with a closing speech by George Sfakianakis, President of the Pancretan Association of Hotel Managers, who expressed warm thanks to Manousos Psaroudakis, Director of Caldera Creta Paradise, and the Krommydakis family for their impeccable hospitality.
The event wrapped up with a dinner attended by all participants, offering a relaxed setting for professional discussions and networking. The evening reinforced the General Assembly’s role as a space for dialogue and cooperation, supporting the continued growth and evolution of tourism in Crete.
