HERSONISSOS IS SUBJECT
OF TOURISM STUDY
Research Regarding the Role of Tourism in the Production and Availability of Local Products
(January 2012)

The University of Patras will carry out a research study for the Hersonisos Municipality about the role of tourism in the production and availability of local products in the tourist consumption. This decision was taken by the Hersonisos Municipal Council, and the issues to be studied are:

1. The recording and study of the tourism role in the overall production and availability of products which are sold for the progressively growing tourist consumption, in both domestically produced (Municipality, Crete, Greece), as well as imported products.

2. Identifying the tourism role in terms of the municipal economy and more generally on the economy of Crete.

TRAVELLING CRETE
Fragkokastello
(January 2012)

Just a few kilometres outside of Sfakia, the legendary Fragkokastello dominates a landscape of wild beauty, having its name connected with various legends of the region. It was built in 1371 A.D. and over the years its enormous outer walls with turrets have been well maintained.



Beginning in 1340 A.D., the feudal lords of Hania had asked from Venice the authorization to build a castle that would protect the Saint Nikita cove, but the first answer was negative. The lords persisted and thirty years later received the consent from the Venetian Senate. There were, however, certain descendants of Byzantine nobility, known for their illegal actions that did not want the aid of Venetian sovereignty endangering the balances of local power.

It's possible that the “castle of Francs” owes its name to them, and the name was meant initially as an insult. Faced with the insistence of the feudal lords, Venice stepped back and in 1371 the construction of a fortress began. During the Ottoman domination, in the hands of the new conquerors it underwent certain transformations and it is here that Daskalogiannis gave himself up to the Turks when the revolution was squashed in 1770.



The most important fact, however, in the history of the castle, is the revolution of the chieftain Hatzimihalis Ntalianis against Pasha Moustafa. In May 1828, with 600 soldiers on foot and 100 horsemen, he arrived in the region and rekindled the revolution for the liberation of Crete. He selected the small castle as base of operations in the resistance against the 8,000 Turkish troops.

Ntalianis fights with his brave soldiers, knowing that it's likely he won't come out alive. And that's exactly what happened. In the battle that began May 18, Ntalianis and many of his soldiers were killed, and those that survived turned themselves over to the Turks.

Today however, Fragkokastelo is known for an unexplained phenomenon shrouding the place with mystery. Years after the legendary battle at the Kastelli plains, and always during first light, a crowd makes its appearance. It's a crowd of human shadows, some on foot, some on horseback, parading in front of the Fragkokastello and heading towards the sea. They appear every year in May and the locals named the shadows 'Drosoulites' (dewdrops) from the morning dew. There is no scientific explanation for it. Perhaps we'll never know. Just leave the mind travel to other times, other metaphysical worlds …

Travelling in Crete
THE HANDAKAS PORT:
DOORWAY TO CRETE
(December, 2011)

Our island's history has been written with salty water from the sea, and its doors of communication with the sea were, and continue to be, its harbours.

The most important of these doors is the harbour of Iraklion, without, of course, overlooking the role and the importance of the other harbours of our island.

In ancient times, in place of the current Iraklion, there was a coastal settlement and port which served Knossos; later, the Romans shaped it to be suitably functional for their boats.
During the years of Arab domination, the harbour of Handakas, as the Arabs named the city, became the biggest import-export centre in the Mediterranean, especially for their pirated products.

Their boats sailed into the port loaded with stolen treasures of immense wealth and sold to the emirs of the East who came to Handakas for their "precious shopping".

When the Venetians occupied the island, the harbour had already risen to new heights, becoming known as the most important harbour in the Eastern Mediterranean.

At that time, the harbour was the gate of communications between the Venetian Kingdom of Crete (Regno di Candia) and the rest of the world. Because of that status, they fortified it, building, in its entrance, the sea fortress, currently known as Koules. Later, the Turks built a smaller Koules across the harbour which remained for the duration of the Ottoman domination.

In the trading market of those times, the harbour bustled with hundreds of ships which exported the island's products, like oil, soap, grapes, wine, yoghurt, snails, silk, carobs etc.
In later years, Crete joined with the rest of Greece, which enhanced even more the upward development of the Iraklion Harbour, resulting in an even greater economic progress of Crete.

Thusly, an immediate need for enlargement of the small Venetian harbour was necessary, and expansion work began in 1922.

The new larger harbour, situated outside of the old one, featured an enormous jetty on its western side, so that today, after various other extensions, can receive large cruise ships, as well as passenger and commercial vessels, with the capability of loading and unloading hundreds of thousands of tones of merchandise annually.

The port of Iraklion played an equally important historical role in more contemporary years, such as in the Battle of Crete.
When, after a hard and uneven fight of roughly 20 days, the allies saw that they could not remain on the island any longer, the English armed forces that were in the Iraklion Prefecture boarded their fleet at the Iraklion harbour, and, without any previous warning, sailed for Egypt, abandoning the island to the horrors of the Nazi atrocities.

With the liberation of Greece in 1945, the Iraklion harbour again found its rhythm, and entered on a new road of growth and progress.

This is briefly the historical course of this large gate from our island into the world, and no one doubts that a similar course will be continued into the future.

HEALTH TOURISM:
Establishing a New Culture in Europe
(December, 2011)

Health Tourism in the past few years has been developing into one of the most dynamic branches of the world travel market, with exceptional economic benefits and results, according to industry experts.

Whether concerning medical reasons or just well-being, the demand has been increasing at an impressive rate annually, a fact which also leads to competitive strategies in the existing markets, while, at the same time, attracts sorely-needed investment capital.

With these facts in mind, Members of Parliament Spyros Danellis and Yiorgos Hatzimarkakis, co-chaired a special event in the European Parliament to promote the development of co-operation between the tourism and health industries.
Main speakers in the event were Health Delegate John Dalli and the Undersecretary Angelos Tolkas. The panel of speakers also included executives from the European Committee’s General Management of Enterprises, as well as businessmen from the areas of health and tourism.

“Health tourism in all its forms - medical tourism, dental, therapeutic, athletic, tourism of well-being, gastronomic, assisted living - continuously acquires a bigger European dimension and presents a new opportunity for tourism growth,” Mr. Danellis stated. “The trans-regional cooperation which we proposed and also included in the recent official report to the EC regarding European Tourism, as well as the regulations on the subjects of safety and quality of services are tools to support the growth of this form of tourism.”
He went on to say: “It is important we develop the natural environment which we allocate - sun, sea, mountains, natural water sources, etc – which, combined with scientific knowledge and experience, will contribute in the development of new units in health care as an alternative tourism form."

Mr. Tolkas stressed that: "Tourism is the heavy industry of Greece. We always study ways to improve Greek tourism, to improve conditions for its growth and development and try to open the road for innovation. The branches of health and well-being tourism are innovative roads. “

“Unfortunately,” he added, “not a lot of things have been achieved in this sector, but choices are currently being examined so we can expect progress in this field. We know that there is big interest from residents of bordering countries to come to Greece for health reasons, whether it’s an operation or to spend a week at a hot bath health resort. “
He went on to state that Greece allocates tradition of many centuries in hot springs.

“Because of the particular character of its subsoil,” he explained, “hot spring sources are scattered throughout many areas of the Greek countryside, while19 therapeutic hot spring sources which still operate today have been known since the ancient times.  Furthermore, 45 percent of the hotels now provide spa services, 38 percent of the hotels provide services concerning the natural condition of visitors, while the percentage of springs which provide alternative forms of treatment, like drinking therapy (hydrotherapy), inhalation therapy or mud bath therapy is increasing progressively.”



Yiorgos Hatzimarkakis pointed out that: "Health tourism can be a dynamic answer in the crisis. It is a new form of tourism which is being developed rapidly in a lot of countries outside of Europe and attracts the interest of millions of people. In countries which are affected by the economic crisis, like Greece, exceptional prospects are given to provide health services in patients who can be moved from Europe, Africa and the Middle East. Greece has the potential because it offers knowledge and climate advantages."

According to health tourism professionals, Greece is a major player in the industry since the country is well known for its excellent doctors and health professionals, many of whom have studied in European and North American universities. This is a strategic advantage for the country, they say, because the patients discover the advantages of medical care in places where the medical specialisation combines with saving money by offering an attractive recuperation environment.

According to studies, plastic surgery, detoxification centres, fertility clinics and haemodialysis in a pleasant environment are very popular “destinations” in health tourism. One of the most attractive sides of therapeutic recuperation in Greece is the possibility of recovering in a very beautiful environment enjoying the famous Greek hospitality, which adds to the mental well being of the patient.

However, according to some experts, Greece once more falls short in this sector because laws, directives and ministerial decisions concerning the specifications on the creation of Health Tourism Centers are still pending.

According to a study by Tourism Research and Marketing, health tourism travels world-wide in 2012 are expected to reach 40,000,000 and the market share of Health Tourism will reach four percent of all international travel. Ten percent of all patients in European Union countries seek nursing institutions outside their national borders and the sums which are globally spent in the EU from travelling for medical reasons, by European and foreign patients approach the amount of 12 billion Euros annually.

Patients from central and northern Europe, as it is pointed out, do not hesitate to travel in any season to countries which offer high medical services for a reasonable cost.

Well-Being Tourism, as it is reported in the study, is the most modern form of Health Tourism and it is promoted worldwide. In the beginning, this particular branch addressed itself only to customers of high economic stature. Today the Well-Being Tourism addresses a much bigger market size, because new centers are constantly appearing, gearing themselves to customers with limited economic possibilities, as they provide beds and well-being services at a lower cost.

GREEK TOURISM 2011:
A PLUS AMONG THE MINUSES

By Andreas Andreadis
Chairman of the Board of the Association of Greek Tourism Enterprises

(November, 2011)

Greek tourism, at this incredibly crucial juncture for the country and despite the numerous problems it has and will face, has posted a significant increase of 10 percent in comparison to 2010, not just in revenues, but in arrivals as well.

The goals set out last March were achieved. International arrivals this year will come to a record-high of approximately 16.5 million tourists.

This year, Greek tourism added a point-and-a-half to the country’s gross domestic product (GDP). If the recession comes to around 5.5 percent, then, without the increase in revenues from tourism, this would be 7 percent, and there would be 100,000 less jobs, with all this entails for the country’s austerity drive, the extraordinary measures being taken and the level of unemployment.

The people in tourism, like all Greeks, are proud of this performance, which was not just a matter of luck. These targets were reached with a lot of hard work, under especially adverse conditions, to improve productivity and the relationship between quality and cost. The effort was helped by the reduction introduced on Value Added Tax (VAT) and by the unrest in North Africa, but the bulk of the success is due to the hard work put in by the people working in tourism, and thanks to the support of society as a whole, which proved that it recognizes the importance of tourism to the Greek economy.

This year, Greece welcomed 16.5 million old and new friends from all over the world, who, despite the negative publicity in the international press, despite the idiotic and illegal activities of a handful of our thick-headed compatriots, chose our country and helped, both with their financial contribution and with their good words.

However, the prospects for next year are defined by high uncertainty. There are three main reasons for this: A worsening international economic climate, with the likelihood of another global recession; the revival of the countries of North Africa as tourist destinations, with very aggressive prices and a good amount of reservations already made; and, finally, the problems in Greece, which are at a crucial junction.

 Given these factors, nothing should be taken for granted in regards to next year’s tourism season. It will take a huge effort and the right actions and policies to succeed a positive result in 2012. One necessary prerequisite is adopting specific direct and medium-term measures and the basic objective is to converge the healthy political and productive forces of the country, for the first time in the history of our homeland, for a common strategic growth of Greek tourism for the next decade.

These measures are:

-       To defend and showcase the values and way of Greek life
-       To dynamically showcase our cultural heritage and modern Greek creativity
-       To respect, correctly utilize and manage our natural resources
-       To create authentic experiences for our visitors
-       To extravert Greek enterprises
-       To improve the competitiveness in Greek tourism by offering high quality services
-       To balance the regional growth and development and institute a fair distribution of wealth

RUSSIAN INVASION OF GREECE
IS SEASON’S BRIGHT LIGHT

November, 2011

While the country struggles to breathe in the stranglehold of recession, a breath of fresh air made its way to our shores via Russia and Germany. According to the latest industry report, tourism receipts from those two countries showed a significant increase in the first eight months of the year.

Although the average spending per tourism trip to Greece grew by just 1 euro, or 0.1 percent in the year’s first eight months from the same period last year, receipts from Russian tourists soared by 46.6 percent reaching, 546 million Euros, while arrivals from Russia grew by an impressive 57.5 percent.

At the same time, visitors from Germany, still the biggest market for Greek tourism, showed an increase of spending of 11.8 percent in the year to August, to climb over 1.2 billion Euros.

On the other side of the picture, receipts from British tourists declined by 9.8 percent to drop to 810.6 million Euros, in line with the 6.9 percent fall in the number of visitors from the United Kingdom.

On the local front, a survey of businesses and shop owners in northeast Crete shows that while there has been an increase in tourists, especially from Russia, disposable income of visitors is way down.

According to a longtime tourist shop owner in Kokkini Hani, there have been more visitors but they come with less money.

“There’s no question that tourists with money are staying out of Crete, and we’re ending up with the low end of the industry…the welfare travelers,” he stated. “In the past, the average purchase by a tourist was around 10 Euros. Now it’s more like 2 or 3 Euros.”

In regard to Russian tourists, just about every type of business in Crete scrambled to hire Russian staff and have menus and other literature translated to Cyrillic.

However, the only local businesses directly benefiting from the Russian invasion apparently are the numerous fur shops, but specific numbers are unavailable since the management of those shops seems to adhere to a special omerta.

TRAVELLING IN CRETE

 The Samaria Gorge
(October, 2011)

When speaking about the natural beauty that surrounds Crete, one of the first sites to be mentioned is the Gorge of Samaria.

Most tourists that come to Crete have this site on their "must-see" list, but it's amazing to discover that so many local residents have never walked the gorge, or have even viewed it – and it's right here, literally, in our own back yard.  

The locals from Sfakia, a small village near the gorge, say: “This is a GORGE . . . the others are just gorges."

The18-kilometre imposing site dominates the landscape south of Hania all the way to the Libyan Sea, and its entrance is found in the locality of Xyloskalo, which is also the highest point of the picturesque Omalos Plateau. There, begins an enchanting journey, that is an equally fascinating experience for Greeks and foreigners alike.

The alternation of the landscapes and the revelations of nature create strong emotions in the visitors, with the appearance of enormous trees, crystal clear water springs, immense rocks and boulders and very tall mountains. The fable says that a Cretan Titan knifed Earth in the gut creating this gorge and any gorge walker can easily see why.

It has been calculated that 450 types of Cretan flora exist in the gorge, from which 70 grow exclusively here, and, according to the law, it is prohibited to remove any vegetation from the gorge, thusly protecting its sensitive ecosystem.

In addition, there are wooded regions with huge cypresses and pines, a picture from a long-ago Crete, when the island was covered by forests famed for their good quality of timber, ideal for building strong ships. There also are wild Cretan goats, called Kri-Kri, which are considered as the most important species of Cretan fauna, but which is unfortunately threatened with extinction. Near the entrance to the gorge, a small picturesque church of Saint Nikolaos can be found, surrounded by trees and cool water springs.  

Going back to antiquity, it is believed that in place of the church there was a holy temple to the God Apollo, and a small distance further was the ancient city of Kaino, where the beautiful Vritomartis (the Cretan goddess Artemis) who loved wild beasts was born.

In the middle of the journey through the gorge, we come across the old settlement Samaria with houses of traditional Cretan architecture, which were abandoned a few years after the gorge was categorized as a National Forest (1962). There, the 14^th century Byzantine church of Osia Maria the Egyptian dominates imposingly, and it's also from where the name Samaria originates, which is nothing else but a deterioration of the Osia Maria pronunciation.  Surprisingly, in this deserted old settlement there is a telephone, a pharmacy, a police station and a heliport in case of an emergency. The old houses are still standing and are used by the forest rangers.

Throughout the walk, there are many narrow passages, which are called doors. The narrowest one, known as Irondoors, has a width of three metres, and the vertical height of the two sides reaches up to 700 metres. These are wild and threatening landscapes, producing clearly Cretan pictures.  

The journey ends at a dry river bed and then the gorge "opens" and reveals another deserted village, Aghia Roumeli. There, the exit of the gorge leads towards the bluer than blue waters of the Libyan sea.

While all Cretan gorges have their own individual beauty and history, the Samarian always offered a breath of freedom during the Venetian and Ottoman dominations, and during the German occupation.

This worth-seeing and negotiable gorge is one that all Cretans should experience. And, when they do, it is understandable that their chests swell with pride at having such a magnificent site in their own backyard.

WHILE SEASIDE TOURISM DROPS
MOUNTAIN TOURISM FLOURISHES

Thousands of tourists in Crete, rather than spending their holidays in an “all inclusive” hotel next to some beach, vacation in mountain hostels, where they get the chance to experience Cretan nature, according to the latest figures.

“We have 90 to 100 percent occupancy this summer,” says Manolis Fragkakis owner of the Velani Country Hotel in Avdou, and adds “our reservations are higher compared to those of last year.”

“We have many French, German, English and Americans who reserve a stay for roughly one week,” he said. "They are interested in the Cretan nature and the Cretan cuisine. Of course this year we notice that visitors are a little more careful with money spent for food and drinks, but their main interest – the Cretan countryside – is here in all its glory for them to enjoy at no extra costs."

Overall, a recent study on the alternative tourism in Crete, carried out with the initiative of the prefectural government in Hania, shows that cultural, nature, gastronomic, archaeological and mountaineering tourism are the main forms of alternative tourism preferred by visitors to Crete. The study shows:

-- Cultural tourism, which focuses in the historical, artistic and intellectual heritage of the island, has a higher rate of preference with 59.2 percent.

-- Nature/environmental tourism, which concerns itself with coastal areas, flat lands as well as mountainous areas with an interesting biodiversity, rich in flora and fauna, also has a high interest with 53.3 percent of the total visitors.

-- Gastronomic tourism, where the culture of local cuisine dominates with a big variety of raw m aterial and an inexhaustible wealth of traditional recipes, also receives a high rate of interest with 50.2 percent.

-- Archaeological tourism, which relates to an important number of archaeological areas, monuments and museums, presenting the rich cultural tradition of each region, receives a 46.3 percent of the tot al preference of visitors.

-- Mountaineering tourism, with the help of paths which aid visitors with mountain climbing and by developing and promoting activities in mountainous areas this alternative tourism is preferred by 42.3 percent from the total number asked.

To carry out this research 1,045 valid questionnaires were filled out, translated in six different languages (Norwegian, Swedish, English, German, Polish and Russian), by tourists from 13 different countries (Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Finland, England, Germany, Poland, Belgium, Holland, Czech Republic, Austria, Russia and Slovakia).

            -- Diving tourism: Since the Greek seas are rich in photographic material, and underwater photography in Greece was permitted, through legislation, just a few years ago, recreational diving throughout Crete and the rest of the country, with the exception of designated archaeological areas, has resulted in thousands of new visitors. Some 250,000 divers from abroad, with their families, are expected to visit Greece up through the end of October, while the number from June to the present has already reached 115,000 divers, according to Society for the Protection and Promotion of the Submarine Environment and its Surrounds. Some 70 percent of the divers who have already visited Greece this year were from Germany, Russia, Spain, France and Italy, while the other 30 percent were from the US.

This is the first year that the number of foreign visitors coming to Greece expressly for diving is being recorded statistically, as well as their favored destinations.

TRAVELLING IN CRETE

Dikteon Cave

Located in the Lasithi Plateau, the Dikteon Cave is one of the more important and most popular among the 3000 grottos found in Crete.

Since the fable has it that Zeus was born there, the, Dikteon Cave was already a famous one from antiquity, dedicated to the worship of the important gods, as many findings show.

Found at an altitude of 1025 metres, on the north side of mount Dikti, with a panoramic view of the entire plateau, it carries aromas from thyme, sage and other herbs of the region, giving the sense that it was not selected accidentally as the cave for the birth of the father of the gods of Olympus.

 

In the anteroom of the Dikteon, they found the foundations of an altar and several objects as offerings. On the altar the pilgrims placed offers of oil, honey, wine, cereals, and sacrificed animals, and then lit a fire.

It is a shame, but since it has been such a favorite site to visit over the eons, many findings have been stolen. In antiquity, it appears that it functioned as the holy centre for the eastern part of the island, proving not only its importance for Crete, but also for the entire ancient Greece. Nevertheless, archaeological discoveries imply a continuous human presence from the end of the Neolithic period, which translates to the last 6000 years.

Probably it was peopled, and perhaps used for burials, but for sure it was a worship centre from the Minoan up to the Archaic period (2000 – 700 B.C.). From the 16th century A.D. up to 1883, the Dikteon Cave was used by local shepherds and hunters as shelter.

The first systematic excavation began in 1899, headed by the English archaelogist, David Hogarth. The excavation brought to light discoveries hidden in Dikteon for centuries, like: an altar, offerings lodged between rocks as well as other ritual objects. In our days, the Dikteon Cavern continues to draw many visitors, no more pilgrims of course, but travelers from all corners of the planet, as well as locals from throughout Crete, and Greece.

THE NEW AGHIOS NIKOLAOS DEMOS
PRESENTS ITS NEW MAP

The first printed work of the new Kallikratic municipality of Aghios Nikolaos is a new tri-lingual tourist map which was presented by Mayor Dimitris Kounenakis, vice-mayor of tourism Mihalis Sgouros and other local dignitaries in a recent press conference.

“Today we are pleased to present our new tourist map of the newly formed municipality of Aghios Nikolaos and it’s much more valuable than any tourist guide,” said the mayor. “Our new tourist map presents our new municipality in its entirety and is at the disposal of our visitors, our businesses and our locals.”  

Mr. Kounenakis stressed that the day was particularly important because while everyone awaits the developments from central Europe in an atmosphere charged with many negatives, his administration is trying to plan certain things so it doesn’t collapse.

 He explained that due to the many difficulties his administration faces with finances and all the Kallikratic legislative problems, it’s difficult for the newly formed demos to function as one big united municipality. For such a demos to work it needs a mutual understanding and must respect the diversity of all its villages in trying to showcase all the different qualities of its regions.

The New Tourist Map has many new elements, gives a fast picture of the new municipality in its entirety and has been issued in three languages: Greek, English and Russian.

The mayor thanked all those who contributed for the publication of the map and particularly the Municipal Committee of Tourism. Mr. Kounenakis also thanked all the advertisers, as the entire cost of the publication and printing of the map was made possible through its advertising.

The map will be distributed from all municipal offices and enterprises, from the information office in Aghios Nikolaos, in Neapolis, in Vrahassi as well as hotels.

TOURISM SEEN AS
KEY TO RECOVERY

Greek tourism has apparently resisted the crisis and is faring well, according to Culture & Tourism Deputy Minister George Nikitiadis, while, at the same time, adding that the industry needs to improve the quality of its services.

 The minister said a strategy implemented by the ministry was bringing results and added that the domestic tourism product was not affected by the heavily-reported street violence which erupted during numerous protests in recent months.

Amongst others, he noted that tourist arrivals at Greek airports, including Iraklion, rose 9.52 percent in the first six months of the year. He acknowledged, however, that one cannot be fully satisfied with this performance, as the country was regaining ground lost in the previous years.

In Crete, owners of many tourism businesses, such as tavernas and small hotels, complained that those figures do not tell the true story since many tourists are staying at all-inclusive hotels and are not spending on the local economy.
 
However, Mr. Nikitiadis remained optimistic. “Greek tourism could become the engine of the economy on the condition that the country improves the quality of its tourism services, extends its tourist season and takes advantage of its sea tourism potential," he said.

Finally, without referring specifically to Crete or the base property in Gournes, the minister dismissed various press reports of late claiming that the country was selling its islands, merely noting that anyone who wanted to invest on Greek isles was welcome.

Η ΠΟΙΗΤΙΚΗ ΓΩΝΙΑ

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POETRY CORNER

Everyone is invited to submit original poems in either English or Greek for publication in The Khronicles.  Each month one or more poems will be selected and, in December, all published poems will be judged and prizes awarded. Submit by Fax: 2810-762816; by e-mail: poetry@ko-go.gr , or in person at our editorial offices in Kokkini Hani.

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