The conference on Wine Tourism organised by the Network of Wineries of Crete on Monday 21 February 2022, in the framework of the annual exhibition Oenotika 2022, was held with great interest and participation. The event, entitled "Looking to tomorrow: Co-designing the wine tourism development of Crete" was, in essence, an open invitation by the wine producers-members of the "Wines of Crete" Network to all stakeholders involved in the value chain of Wine Tourism. The aim of the conference was twofold: on the one hand, to highlight the importance and the multifaceted benefits of Wine Tourism for wineries and destinations and, on the other hand, to create a network of dialogue with both private and public bodies on the island, which will lay the foundations for the planning of future common directions.
In this context, and moderated by Dr. Elli Gika, Director of the Heraklion Winery Network, contributions were presented by scientific institutions, representatives of wineries and local government, as well as by professionals active in the field of wine tourism.
The opening speech was given by Dr. Maria Alembaki, Researcher at the Institute of Agricultural Economics and Sociology, ELGO-DIMITRA, who presented the historical development and the current situation of Wine Tourism in Greece and internationally, with special reference to the case of Crete.
This was followed by the assessment of the fifteen-year journey of Wines of Crete by the President of the Wines of Crete Network of Heraklion, Nikos Miliarakis, who summarized the steps that have been taken so far, as well as the goals that have been set for the next day.
The wine tour operators' perspective on the development of wine tourism was given by Rami Masount, owner of Genuine Experience and Anna-Maria Kampouraki, co-owner of Chania Wine Tours. Afterwards, the floor was given to the representatives of four wineries of the Crete Winery Network: Messrs. Mr. Nikos Karavitakis (Karavitakis Winery), Mr. Stelios Zacharioudakis (Zacharioudakis Estate), Ms. Eleftheria Mamidaki (Anoskeli Winery) and Mr. Manthos Yalitakis (Topplou Estate) presented their experience from their involvement with Wine Tourism, as well as proposals for further development of the sector.
The extremely important role of local government was highlighted by executives of first and second level local authorities. Mr. Nikos Alexakis, Head of the Tourism Department of the Region of Crete, linked the development of Wine Tourism with a new model of sustainability, the Deputy Mayor of Heraklion, George Sisamakis, presented the initiative "Heraklion flavors" as an example of synergy between gastronomy and the wine tourism industry, while, the importance of Wine Tourism for the hinterland was emphasized in his presentation by
Mayor of Archanes-Asterousia, Emmanuel Kokosalis, emphasized the importance of wine tourism in the region.
At the end of the presentations, Dr. Maria Alembaki summarized the topics developed, pointing out the critical factors for the next day. This was followed by a constructive discussion with the participation of wine and tourism professionals and members of the scientific community, from which it emerged that it is necessary:
- To further strengthen synergies at all levels and between all parties involved, in order to co-create an integrated set of services for the visitor, based on the local wine identity and authentic hospitality.
- To give priority to the conservation and enhancement of the cultural resources of each wine-growing area.
- Strengthen the exchange of good practices, the adoption of innovations and the collection of data to facilitate visitor management and strategic planning, especially in the post-covid era.
- To integrate wine tourism into a broader framework of sustainable development and to step up actions for the training of human resources involved in the reception and hospitality of visitors.
Source: Wines of Crete
Photo Credit: Wines of Crete
