The participation of the Region of Crete in the professional event – workshop “Greek Tourism Workshop” held in Vienna on December 15 was highly successful, as part of the tourism promotion activities for 2025.
During the workshop, representatives of the Region of Crete held a series of professional (B2B) meetings with travel agents and tour operators. Regional Deputy for Tourism, Dr. Kyriakos Kotsoglou, presented Crete’s tourism product and the island’s competitive advantages, with particular emphasis on cultural, gastronomic, and sustainable tourism, aiming to further enhance tourist flows from Austria.
Austria remains one of Crete’s traditional markets, with more than 150,000 air arrivals expected in 2025, including steady arrivals during off-peak months—March-April and October-November.
Moreover, in 2024 Austrian visitors recorded a 19.1% higher Average Per Capita Spending compared to the national average, and a 11.9% longer Average Length of Stay at 7.2 nights (data from INSETE), with main travel motivations including leisure, cultural tourism, sightseeing, city breaks, sports tourism, and more.
The event was honored by the presence of Mr. Georgios Lymberis, Second Secretary of the Economic and Commercial Affairs Office of the Greek Embassy in Vienna, and Ms. Stavroula Skaltsi, Head of the Greek National Tourism Organization (GNTO) Office in Vienna.
The Region of Crete was represented by Regional Deputy for Tourism Dr. Kyriakos Kotsoglou, and from the Tourism Directorate, the Deputy Head of the Tourism Department of Heraklion Regional Unit, Eleni Vougioukalaki, and the Deputy Head of the Planning and Development Department, Olga Milioni.
Regional Deputy for Tourism Dr. Kyriakos Kotsoglou commented:
“With the philhellenic Vienna, we bid farewell to 2025. With Vienna, Utrecht, Helsinki, Madrid, Dublin, and many more, we will welcome January 2026. All links in the same chain of Crete’s promotion, yet every time a major cycle closes—like 2025 with 38 exhibitions, workshops, and numerous events—we feel we have taken a step further for Famous Crete, Everywhere!! Health, Love, and Peace for all the world!”
