The municipality of Hersonissos is attempting to put the Malia marina project on a new, realistic basis, claiming its free concession from the Ministry of Tourism and the remodeling of the physical object of the port facility. The goal, as noted, is to prepare a comprehensive development and sustainable utilization program, in collaboration with the entrepreneurs of the area.
The project is considered of strategic importance for the municipal unit of Malia but also for the entire municipality, as it can be a critical lever for strengthening the competitiveness of the tourism product, provided that the necessary resources and the required studies are secured.
At this point, it should be emphasized that the relevant requests and proposals have already been recorded since July 2025, in the municipal council decision no. 159/2025. There it is explicitly stated that the municipality of Hersonissos requests from the Ministry of Tourism the free concession of the use of the tourist port of Malia, so that it can design a new framework for the sustainable development of the land and sea zone.
It is worth noting that the existing legal framework allows the free concession of such facilities to municipalities and has already been applied in corresponding cases, such as that of the tourist port of Kos. The municipal authority of Hersonissos, citing the documentation it has already presented, calls on the Ministry of Tourism to adopt the proposal and contribute to the restart of an infrastructure project crucial for the tourist development of the region.
The history of the concession
The initial concession agreement for the Malia marina was signed on May 3, 2019 between the Ministry of Tourism and the municipality of Hersonissos, with a duration of 43 years and an annual consideration of 46,897.92 euros, adjusted annually. The municipality had undertaken the construction of the projects in the marine and terrestrial zone, the submission of the relevant studies within eight months, the completion of all projects within 36 months, the submission of a letter of guarantee and the insurance of the port.
However, the implementation did not proceed. The letter of guarantee was never submitted, the insurance was not possible due to the ambiguity of the physical object, the studies and approvals were not completed and the contract with the contractor investor, which had been selected in 2022, was not signed. The marina area remained unused, without any progress in the projects, while the municipality continued to pay the annual rent regularly, even for 2023.
The municipality’s new proposal
Due to complete inaction, the mayor of Hersonissos, Zacharias Doxastakis, had repeatedly pointed out that the 2019 contract was unrealistic from the start and detrimental to the interests of the municipality. The municipal council, with decision 159/2025, established the impossibility of fulfilling the terms of the contract and requested the Ministry of Tourism to issue a declaratory act of its termination.
The financial services department and the legal department of the municipality agreed with this proposal, citing the explicit provisions of article 11 of the contract. At the same time, the municipal council decided that beyond the payment of the rent for 2025, there will be no future payment.
Thus, this decision paves the way for a new model for the development of the Malia marina, with an emphasis on upgrading the area, attracting investment and strengthening the tourist profile of the municipality of Hersonissos.
