The keynote speaker at the 4th Chios Festival was the Commissioner for Sustainable Transport and Tourism, Apostolos Tzitzikostas, who paid an official visit to the island. During his visit, he met with the Mayor of Chios Ioannis Malafis, the Governor of the North Aegean Region, Kostas Moutzouris, as well as with representatives of tourism organizations, and also visited the Mastic Research Center.
In his contacts, the Commissioner highlighted the role of Chios as a “symbol of creative power” and noted that insularity should not be treated as a regional dimension, but should constitute a central axis of European strategies.
“Chios reminds us that Europe is not only continental, it is also maritime. Cohesion is not measured in kilometers, but in access and opportunities for all”, he stated characteristically.
Two European strategies for ports and shipping
Mr. Tzitzikostas made extensive reference to the strategies being prepared by the European Commission for ports and shipping, emphasizing their importance for competitiveness, security, energy and digital transition, as well as sustainability.
“Chios has taught Europe that seafaring is not just a profession, it is a way of life, culture and identity”, he emphasized, noting that European ports handle 77% of the Union’s external trade.
Doubling of resources for transport – Tourism in the European budget
The Commissioner described the recent EU initiatives as positive:
Doubling of the budget for transport and infrastructure (€51.5 billion).
For the first time, a separate provision for tourism in the European budget.
Tourism “a mirror of our values”
Presenting figures, Mr. Tzitzikostas underlined that tourism contributes over €764 billion annually to the EU, supports 20 million jobs and makes Europe the most popular destination in the world.
Referring to the first joint European strategy for tourism, which will be presented in early 2026, he set as priorities the balance of development and protection, support for SMEs, the use of Artificial Intelligence and the promotion of new destinations.
“We do not have the luxury of living with two or three-month tourist seasons. Tourism must expand in time and geography. Chios can become a model of four-season tourism,” he noted, suggesting cultural events, gastronomic routes and experiential experiences as development tools.
