- Recognition: The Stalis Dive Park is featured as an EU “Success Story” on DG MARE’s website.
- Funding: Project financed through the “Fisheries and Sea 2014–2020” program, with support from the Heraklion Chamber of Commerce and the Development Agency of Heraklion.
- Scope: Artificial reefs covering 22.5 stremmata (≈2.25 hectares).
- Goals:
- Develop diving tourism.
- Protect and showcase the marine environment.
- Diversify the local tourism product.
- Create jobs and economic value.
- “This recognition confirms that cooperation, innovation, and commitment to sustainability can give Crete a competitive edge,” said Heraklion Chamber President Vaggelis Karkanakis.
Diving into Recognition
Crete’s latest European distinction did not come from its olive groves or mountain villages but from beneath the waves. The Stalis Reef Dive Park has been named a “Success Story” by the European Commission’s Directorate-General for Maritime Affairs and Fisheries (DG MARE).
The project is now spotlighted on the Commission’s website under the title “Discover Crete’s underwater treasures: The Stalis reef dive park.“
A Dive Park with a Purpose
Covering around 22.5 stremmata of seabed, the dive park’s artificial reefs were never meant as tourist gimmicks alone. They were built with multiple targets in sight:
- Develop Crete as a diving destination.
- Protect fragile marine ecosystems.
- Enrich the island’s tourism product with authentic experiences.
- Support the local economy by creating jobs and adding value.
This layering of goals explains why Brussels took notice. It is not just about bubbles in turquoise water; it is about using tourism as a lever for biodiversity and sustainability.
The Statement
Heraklion Chamber of Commerce President Vaggelis Karkanakis underlined the significance:
“We consider it extremely important that the European Commission presents the “Diving Park in Stalida” as a good practice on its website. The selection of good practices is not random, and this particular distinction is a strong confirmation of the cooperation, innovation, and commitment to sustainability that can give Crete a competitive advantage in tourism and the protection of the natural environment.”
He added that the Chamber, together with the Development Agency of Heraklion, will continue to invest in actions linking tourism with sustainable development.
Beyond the Shoreline
For years, Crete has tried to market itself not only as a sun-and-sand island but as a destination of “authentic experiences.” The Stalis Dive Park now gives that phrase teeth. It attracts individuals with higher educational and economic profiles, who are eager for adventure while respecting the environment.
And it does something else rarely achieved: it tackles overfishing head-on and offers refuge to marine life. In a time when the Mediterranean is both playground and battleground, such initiatives are more than PR. They are survival strategies.
Crete is finally proving that a tourism story can be both glamorous and green.
