With the best impressions of hospitality, gastronomy, culture, nature and the islands diversity, Cypriot travel agents, journalists and representatives of tourism bodies, as well as of the Church of Cyprus, departed from Crete after visiting the island from December 19 to 22 as guests of the Region of Crete.
The familiarization trip was organized by the Tourism Directorate of the Region of Crete in cooperation with CYPRUS Airways and the Cyprus Ministry of Tourism, in the context of the launch of scheduled flights connecting Larnaca with Heraklion year-round, with two weekly flights during the winter that will increase during the high season. Indicative of the importance of this initiative and the new connection was the presence of the Deputy Minister of Tourism of Cyprus, Konstantinos Koumis, who led the Cypriot delegation.
Within the framework of the three-day visit, Cypriot travel agents had the opportunity to meet with travel agents and hoteliers from Crete, in the Regional Units of Heraklion and Rethymno, in order to exchange views on the creation of attractive tourism packages that will strengthen travel flows between the two destinations with a sustainable orientation, with emphasis on cultural and religious tourism. Among other forms of tourism, discussions also focused strongly on studenteducational tourism, as well as alternative forms of tourism.
The working meeting in Heraklion was attended, among others, by the Deputy Regional Governor of the Regional Unit of Heraklion, Nikos Syrigonakis, as well as the President of the Heraklion Chamber of Commerce, Evangelos Karkanakis, while the corresponding meeting in Rethymno was attended by the Deputy Regional Governor of the Regional Unit of Rethymno, Maria Lioni, and the President of the Rethymno Chamber of Commerce, Giorgos Giakoumakis. On the afternoon of Saturday, December 20, 2025, the delegation was welcomed in the Municipal Council Hall by the Mayor of Heraklion, Alexis Kalokairinos, and the Deputy Mayor for Tourism and Finance, Giorgos Agrimanakis, who also hosted an official dinner at the port of Heraklion.
The visit was covered by journalists from major Cypriot media outlets, such as Antenna TV and ALPHA Cyprus, as well as the OMEGA, SIGMA and SPP media groups, among others. During their short stay, the guests toured the cities of Heraklion and Rethymno, visited the Heraklion Archaeological Museum, and sampled traditional Cretan cuisine at award-winning restaurants in both cities.
The Deputy Regional Governor for Tourism of the Region of Crete, Dr. Kyriakos Kotsoglou, in a joint statement with the Deputy Regional Governors of Heraklion and Rethymno, Nikos Syrigonakis and Maria Lioni, stated:
All familiarization trips are very important for Crete, as they give us the opportunity, on the one hand, for new business collaborations, and on the other, to showcase our hospitality to visitors. However, a fam trip on the occasion of the launch of Cyprus Airways flights always carries particular significance. A very large number of Cretans who each year traveled to Cyprus via Athens will now travel directly to and from our sister island. This initiative by Cyprus Air, starting on 19.12.2025, will give an additional boost to the extension of the tourism season and winter tourism, bringing Cyprus closer to Crete, everywhere.
The visit was an initiative of CYPRUS AIRWAYS and was carried out with the support of the Region of Crete and the warm response and cooperation of the Heraklion and Rethymno Hoteliers Associations, the Association of Cretan Travel and Tourist Agencies (ACTTA), as well as the Chambers of Commerce of Heraklion and Rethymno.
