- Mayor Manolis Menegakis reviewed a successful week of World Tourism Day events held from September 21 to 27 across Agios Nikolaos and the inland municipal communities.
- The municipality welcomed Hellenic National Tourism Organization (GNTO) President Angela Varela, showcasing Elounda and hosting central events at the Agios Nikolaos port.
- The mayor acknowledged the vital contributions of local hotels, cultural associations, winemakers, cheesemakers, distillers, and artists in shaping the region’s culinary identity.
- Municipal leadership emphasized that Agios Nikolaos’ success as a quality destination relies on its local community, cultural roots, and genuine Cretan hospitality.
Rediscovering fire with Mayor Menegakis
Because nothing screams “groundbreaking revelation” quite like a local politician announcing that tourism relies on people and good food, the Municipality of Agios Nikolaos wrapped up its week-long World Tourism Day festivities with a reflective mayoral address.
Reviewing the events running from September 21 through 27, Mayor Manolis Menegakis highlighted efforts to showcase the region beyond its scenery, pushing outward from the coastal center of Agios Nikolaos and iconic Elounda into the agricultural inland.
The program also showcased the people and producers behind the destination, including winemakers, farmers, cheesemakers and distillers, alongside hotels, tourism businesses and cultural associations.
Mayor Manolis Menegakis said the celebrations were intended to highlight the area’s identity through food, tradition and local participation.
“On the occasion of this year’s World Tourism Day, the Municipality of Agios Nikolaos celebrates and reaffirms its position as one of the top quality destinations in our country.
For us, tourism is about our people, our culture, and the authentic Cretan spirit.
This year, we have chosen to honor this World Tourism Day with a week (September 21–27) dedicated to Cretan cuisine and hospitality.
From the city of Agios Nikolaos to the inland municipalities, we have highlighted the richness of the Cretan land, the flavors that shaped us, and the tradition of hospitality that remains unchanged over time,” the mayor said, addressing the media.
That last point is particularly important.
Agios Nikolaos is often presented to visitors through its coastline, marina and famous Elounda resorts. But the municipality extends well beyond the places tourists normally see.
The World Tourism Day program brought the inland communities into the celebration, putting local food production and cultural traditions alongside the area’s established tourism infrastructure.
That connection matters because Cretan gastronomy is not simply something created for hotel menus. The products showcased during the celebrations come from the island’s agricultural communities and local producers, linking tourism directly with the wider rural economy.
Elounda, the harbor, and the EOT
The program also included a visit by EOT President Angela Varela, who toured Elounda and attended the main World Tourism Day event at the port of Agios Nikolaos.
According to the mayor, the visit provided an opportunity to discuss the municipality’s tourism potential and promote the destination.
Menegakis said:
“It was a great honor and joy for our region to have the President of the Greek National Tourism Organization, Ms. Angela Varela, join us at our events. We had the opportunity to give her a tour of the iconic Elounda and to join her at our main event at the Port of Agios Nikolaos, highlighting our municipality’s potential and discussing the promotion of our region as a tourist destination.”
The people behind the destination
The mayor also credited the local businesses and community organizations involved in the celebrations, including hotels and tourism bodies, cultural associations, winemakers, producers, cheesemakers, distillers and local artists.
That is arguably the more interesting part of the message.
A destination does not produce its food, traditions or hospitality by itself. People do.
And for a region whose tourism product increasingly depends on visitors looking beyond the beach and hotel pool, those local connections matter. A bottle of wine from a local producer, cheese from a Cretan dairy, food prepared with ingredients from the surrounding countryside and a traditional music performance all tell visitors something about where they actually are.
The mayor thanked those involved:
“I would like to express my warmest thanks to the hotels and tourism organizations that actively support the quality of our services; to the cultural associations that keep the flame of tradition alive in every corner of the municipality; and to the winemakers, producers, cheesemakers, and distillers who, with their fine products, shape the culinary identity of our region. To the artists who enriched our events with music and culture, offering authentic Cretan experiences, and to our numerous visitors.”
The tourism lesson:
The mayor concluded by arguing that Agios Nikolaos’s appeal goes beyond its scenery and depends on the people who live and work there.
“The success of Agios Nikolaos as a destination is measured not only by the beauty of our landscape, but by the generosity of its people.
By joining forces, we have proven that Cretan hospitality is our most precious national treasure.
Building on this legacy, we continue to create a municipality ready to play a leading role in the future of sustainable tourism.
Wishing everyone many happy and creative years ahead.”