News from the Greek Travel Pages (GTP) informs us of approval for the very first Crete diving park to in Crete being given the green light by officials. According to the news the part, which includes shipwrecks and 38 artificial reefs, has been approved by the Chania region’s Environment and Spatial Planning Committee.
The new park, which will operate under the supervision of the Apokoronas Municipality, Chania, is set to operate in the coastal area of Bros Gialos Bay, just outside the protected Natura 2000 area. For those unfamiliar, Apokoronas is a region of northwestern Crete, east of Chania. that extends from the foothills of the White Mountains north to the coast. The area includes the towns, Vamos, Almyrida and Georgioupolis, which is of Crete’s largest seaside resorts.
The 15-acre park, designed to accommodate large groups or individual divers on three 20-meter-deep routes, will operate services from the ports of Georgioupoli, Almirida, Kalives, Marathi and Bros Gialos. According to Crete MEP Nikos Igoumenidis, the project’s Environmental Impact Assessment is scheduled to be signed by relevant authorities, paving the way for other such parks across the island and Greece, which will boost diving tourism while ensuring safety and sustainable practices. Mr. Igoumenidis, added that:
“The development and promotion of diving tourism is part of the ministry’s ongoing national tourism strategy, aiming to tackle the seasonality of the sector and to enrich and diversify the tourist product by tapping into Greece’s natural offerings”.
Crete authorities also have plans to create Crete diving parks in Stalida, Mononafti, and Mirabello Bay. As further background, it’s important to note that Mr. has been in continual discussions with the Ministry of Tourism the inclusion of the diving tourism in the National Tourism Strategy with the aim of mitigating the seasonality.