For the first time, Heraklion, Crete, becomes the epicenter of the scientific dialogue around the legal dimension of tourism, hosting the 1st Tourism Law Conference on 20 and 21 June 2025, at the Aquila Atlantis Hotel. This is an important initiative of the Heraklion Bar Association, which aspires to fill a gap in the systematic approach to legal issues concerning the tourism sector.
With participation from distinguished academics, lawyers, public administration executives, and representatives of tourism organizations, the conference aspires to highlight the multidimensional legal implications of one of the most important pillars of the Greek economy. As the organizers emphasize, the need for a clear, modern, and functional legal framework is becoming increasingly urgent, as tourism is transforming and creating new conditions for professionals, businesses, and institutional actors.
The focus of the conference will be on issues such as:
- The regulation of short-term rentals, a sector that is evolving rapidly and often without a clear institutional framework.
- Tourism investments and the legal certainty environment that surrounds them.
- The liability of hospitality service providers and the way in which this is legally addressed.
- The challenges of sustainable tourism development and the need to incorporate relevant provisions into legislation.
- Issues of consumer protection, labor law, and digital services in tourism.
The work of the conference will be carried out in person, while there will also be the possibility of remote monitoring for conference participants who will not be in Heraklion.
The choice of Crete – an area with a strong tourist footprint, but also a long history of supporting scientific initiatives – underlines the importance of the conference and strengthens the connection between theory and practice. As the organizers point out, “tourism is not only an economic activity; it is a complex social phenomenon, which needs a clear, fair and effective regulatory framework”.
The conference is under the auspices of the Heraklion Bar Association and is expected to become an annual institution, strengthening the institutional and scientific dialogue on the future of tourism in Greece.
