- Crete went to Ferien-Messe Wien in Vienna (15–18 January 2026) to charm Central Europe.
- Austria is “quality tourism” — 160,000 arrivals in 2025.
- The booth was busy with actual Austrians, not just industry insiders.
- Main selling points: Cretan inland villages, gastronomy, and alternative tourism (hiking, climbing, culture).
- Crete reminded everyone it is “safe, diverse, sustainable, year-round” — the holy tourism trinity.
- Diplomats visited, officials smiled, brochures were handed out, and snacks did the real work.
- Prebookings are allegedly up 5%, flights are increasing, and the slogan returns: Crete Everywhere.
Vienna, Brochures, and the Eternal European Need for Sun
If Finland keeps coming to Crete because it wants to survive winter, Austria keeps coming because it wants to survive itself. And because somewhere deep down, every Austrian knows that after enough snow, museums, rules, and civilized silence… There must be an island where someone puts olive oil on everything and calls it medicine.
So yes — the Region of Crete, in cooperation with the Greek National Tourism Organisation (EOT), attended the international tourism exhibition Ferien-Messe Wien in Vienna, held 15 to January 18, 2026.
The goal was simple and eternally repeated: increase arrivals, strengthen the flow, make Central Europe obsessed with Crete, and ideally persuade people to visit in months other than July when the asphalt itself looks angry.
Austria, the press release reminds us, is not just any market. It is one of those prestige markets — the kind that tourism officials describe as quality, meaning they spend money, behave politely, and do not ask whether the feta is vegan.
The numbers, as always, were marched out like soldiers: 160,000 arrivals in 2025 from Austria.
A figure that makes tourism offices feel warm inside — and makes every Cretan hotelier quietly check how early they can raise prices before someone notices.
At this year’s exhibition, the Region’s delegation held meetings with tourism professionals, tour operators, and media representatives — the usual solemn business ritual. But the real main event, once again, was not the industry people. It was the Austrian public — ordinary travelers, curious and philhellenic, who stopped by the Cretan booth because Greece still occupies a special place in the Central European holiday imagination.
They came, they listened, they asked questions, they accepted brochures… and most importantly, they tasted the snacks. Because that is how Crete truly expands its tourism season — not through “strategic objectives,” but through a piece of rusk, a spoon of something local, and the sudden realization that life can taste like thyme and sea air.
And what exactly did Crete sell in Vienna?
The press release lists three central axes, which, in human language, translate to: “We tried to look intelligent while promoting the obvious.”
The first was Authentic Hospitality — the inland, the traditional villages, the settlements with old stone houses and quiet streets where people still greet strangers like they mean it.
This is always a clever move, because if you mention only beaches, you become just another Mediterranean postcard. But if you mention inland Crete, you suddenly become deep, soulful, and “experiential.”
The second was Gastronomy & the Cretan Diet, with a specific trophy attached: Crete being presented as the Gastronomic Region of Europe for 2026. That is the type of title tourism bodies love — because it sounds official enough to justify three paragraphs of enthusiasm and at least one future press conference.
And honestly, if Crete is not a gastronomy region, then nobody is. The island basically has edible philosophy.
The third axis was Alternative Tourism — hiking, mountaineering, cultural tourism — all beautiful to Austrians, who (according to the press release) do not show great interest in conventional vacations.
This is not surprising. Austrians are not wired for “lie down and do nothing.” They want movement, trails, elevation, and some kind of meaningful suffering — preferably with scenic rewards and a soup at the end.
So Crete, wisely, offered them the idea of a destination that is not only summer. Not only the beach. Not only cocktails. But also gorges, mountains, monasteries, and villages with grandmothers who can destroy your self-control with one plate of food.
A properly impressive lineup represented the Region of Crete:
- Deputy Regional Governor for Tourism Dr. Kyriakos Kotsoglou
- Deputy Regional Governor for Civil Protection Giorgos Tsapakis
- Head of Tourism Department for Chania Regional Unit Emmanouil Volikakis
- and German-speaking licensed guide Ioanna Topalidou, because in Vienna, German matters.
Also represented — in cooperation with EOT — was the Municipality of Kantanos-Selino, because Crete never misses a chance to remind the world that the island is not one place. Still, many worlds are stitched together by mountain roads and strong opinions.
The booth received high-level visits as well: the Greek Ambassador in Vienna, Georgios Iliopoulos, along with economic and commercial affairs officials from the embassy, proving once again that tourism in Greece is not an industry, it is a diplomatic campaign.
Visitors, meanwhile, received information through printed and digital material, and enjoyed traditional Cretan treats — that “first taste” of the island.
And that first taste is always the most dangerous part. Because once an Austrian tastes Crete, the decision is basically made.
In his statement, Dr. Kotsoglou declared that Crete continues to promote its tourism from “the heart of Europe,” not only in Vienna but also in Helsinki and Stuttgart, because Crete in 2026 is apparently everywhere at once — like a mythological creature with frequent-flyer miles.
He emphasized that Crete is investing in quality and authenticity, and that the signs from the Austrian market are “highly encouraging,” including:
- prebookings up 5%
- increasing flights to Heraklion and Chania
- and confirmation that Crete remains at the top of Austrian preferences
And the statement ends with the familiar battle cry:
“Crete Everywhere!”
Which is correct.
Because the only thing more present than Crete in European tourism fairs… is Crete in European holiday plans.
Written with assistance from Arthur AI.
