In a sharp joint statement, Crete’s tourism bodies express their strong concern about the new protests announced by livestock farmers, warning of the consequences of any blockade of basic infrastructure such as roads, ports and, above all, Heraklion airport.
As they state, Crete’s society and economy cannot withstand another blow to one of the island’s main pillars of prosperity, tourism, which concerns everyone, including the productive classes.
At this point, it should be emphasized that the previous mobilization, with the closure of the airport and parts of VOAK, had caused damage to the image of Crete internationally, while hundreds of visitors suffered inconvenience and financial losses, for which they have already taken legal action.
The organizations emphasize that they had shown responsibility and a willingness to de-escalate, temporarily suspending legal proceedings after the previous crisis. However, they emphasize emphatically that tolerance has now run out. If mobilizations are repeated in the same way, all legal actions will proceed normally and each responsible person will be held accountable for the consequences of their actions, civilly and criminally.
In fact, the tourism organizations categorically state that no mobilization can legitimize the exclusion of basic infrastructure and that tourism will not again become hostage to internal disputes and demands that must be resolved institutionally.
At the same time, they call on the State to open a dialogue and find solutions to the fair demands of the farmers, ensuring the smooth and uninterrupted operation of transport, while asking the Justice Department to immediately implement the law.
It is worth noting that the united front of the island’s tourism forces highlights the anguish of an industry that supports thousands of families and businesses, but also the will to protect the tourist capital of Crete from any potential disruption.
