- Rethymno’s tourism offices will hold their annual general meeting on November 19, 2026.
- A planned excursion route linking Kourtaliotiko Springs with Preveli Beach will be a major topic.
- Operators will discuss visitor safety, accessibility, infrastructure and excursion organization.
- FEDHATTA and Crete’s tourist bus association will also address wider challenges facing the sector.
A new excursion route gets the industry’s attention
A planned excursion route connecting the Kourtaliotiko Springs with Preveli Beach will be one of the main topics at the annual general meeting of the Rethymno Association of Tourist Offices on Thursday, November 19.
The proposed Route No. 1, developed by the Municipality of Agios Vasilios, would connect two of southern Rethymno’s most popular natural attractions.
For an area that already draws substantial visitor traffic, the question is not simply whether another excursion route can be created. It is whether it can be organised safely and efficiently enough to improve the visitor experience without adding another layer of pressure to an already busy destination.
Safety and access take centre stage
Tourism professionals are expected to discuss the practical issues surrounding the proposed route, including accessibility, visitor safety, infrastructure capacity and the overall quality of the excursion experience.
Those questions matter particularly at destinations where natural beauty is the main attraction, but infrastructure can struggle to keep pace with demand.
Kourtaliotiko Gorge and Preveli are both established attractions, but connecting them within an organised excursion product brings additional considerations for coaches, guides, visitors and local businesses.
The tourism association wants to collect feedback from industry professionals and contribute their experience to the route’s planning.
Tourist offices and bus operators seek closer cooperation
The meeting will also bring together representatives from two important parts of Crete’s tourism industry.
Lysandros Tsilidis, president of the Federation of Hellenic Associations of Tourist and Travel Agencies (FEDHATTA), will discuss institutional challenges facing tourist offices, along with new digital tools and financial services available to tourism businesses.
Among the topics will be FEDHATTA’s TravelScanner platform and banking programmes aimed at tourism companies.
Stratos Magkousakis, president of the Association of Owners of Tourist Buses of Crete, will address the regulatory and practical issues affecting tourist bus operators and the potential for closer cooperation between bus companies and tourist offices.
That relationship is particularly relevant for excursion routes such as Kourtaliotiko–Preveli, where transport is an essential part of the visitor experience.
The annual general meeting is also intended to provide an open forum for tourism professionals to discuss the problems they encounter in their daily operations.
Issues expected to come up include excursion organisation, professional cooperation, operational difficulties, and ways to improve tourism services across the region.
The meeting will take place at JO-AN Palace Hotel in Rethymno at 7:00 p.m. on November 19, 2026.