The Malia government, headed by Mayor Kostas Lagouthakis, hosted a meeting to assess this past tourist season and discuss ways of preventing a similar debacle from occurring in 2009.

On hand for the Town hall meeting were Iraklion Police Director Fotis Georgopoulos, Hersonisos Police Captain Manolis Petrakis, plus representatives from the Fire Department, Tour Agents, the local Hotelier’s Association and the Association of Entertainment Businesses, better known as bars and clubs.

Significantly, in attendance was a representative of Thomas Cook Travel, the parent company of 18 to 30 Club, considered to be a major contributor to Malia's problems. Other tour companies on hand were Olympic Holidays, Palmyra Travel and TUI.

Once again the mayor stressed the necessity of a smoothly managed and operated market place during the tourist period, emphasizing the responsibilities and obligations for everyone involved.

"The way the tour operators work in cooperation with the entertainment businesses irreparably damages the area because it shows Malia in a bad light and impedes the services for the rest of the enterprises in the town.”

It was also pointed out, specifically to tour operators, that the way they manage the youth tourism during their stay in Malia, is in direct contrast with the local regulations laid-out by the Municipal Council.

"It is a one-way road for everyone to work together so that the town is returned to its citizens, ignoring the ephemeral profit, and to protect the township, and redefine and put Malia back on the tourist map as a safe tourist destination," the mayor said.

Following the meeting, Mayor Lagouthakis, in an interview with The Khronicles, said: "This was a meeting initiated by the local government, where the tour agents and the club owners were told that this is it and no more – they have embarrassed, devalued and mishandled the good name of Malia and the local society and other businesses have started to react to these phenomena of illegality and autonomy.

"They were warned that the product being “sold” by tour agents and cooperating entertainment places spells out an anarchistic development and as long as the easy profit remains an end in itself the township will not be redefined as a safe destination on the tourist map." 

The mayor underlined at the meeting that the well-being of the township’s businesses and entire community is being threatened and that everyone including the police and fire department, and of course, the local government must work together and come up with solutions because he "can’t guarantee that in summer 2009 an angry mob of a number of irate locals won’t start taking the law onto their own hands.”