The UNESCO Regions of Crete (Samaria-Psiloritis-Asterousia-Siteia) operated an individual stand at the ITB Berlin tourism exhibition. The alternative tourism exhibit by the region presented the island’s hinterland and its authentic character. Ambassadors from each of the four regions recognized by UNESCO highlighted the extraordinary characteristics of these regions. The booth of the sub regions was voted among the 10 best of the exhibition for its environmentally friendly design.
In the context of the same project (Branding of the UNESCO Areas of Crete, financed by the NSRF of the Region of Crete), the strategic collaboration with National Geographic is already being implemented with a series of targeted entries in the international edition of the magazine. The collaboration extends to video screening on National Geographic Television, as well as two extensive online campaigns promotion of the 4 UNESCO Regions of Crete, which counted more than 9 million impressions in Great Britain, France, Italy, and Germany, via the National Geographic website (2) and social media.
At the same time, through the web portal, graphics teams created printed and audio-visual material for the 4 regions as well as a series of other promotion actions that will follow, their single identity will be constantly strengthened as representative of an authentic Crete, full of alternatives activities and personalized experiences that visitors to the island’s hinterland can enjoy.
The UNESCO Regions of Crete stand in Berlin was staffed by representatives of the regions (Maria Kolendrianou from the Psiloritis Geopark, Theano Vrentzou from the Asterousia Biosphere Reserve, Eleftheria Koumendakis from the Siteia Geopark), the special advisors of the Region of Crete Dimitris Michelogiannis and Ira Voutsala, the executives from the EYD of the “Crete” Program Evangelia Fragiadoulakis and Eleni Mastorakis, the representative of National Geographic Izabella Christodoulou, the representative of the Municipality of Sitia Stavros Kefalas as well as Phoivos Tsaravopoulos of Paths of Greece who has undertaken the study for the creation of hiking routes in the areas as well and Petros and Konstantinos Sofikitis, creators of the photographic and audio-visual projection material of the 4 areas.
Meetings were held with a series of representatives from abroad as well as with the General Secretary of the EOT Dimitris Fragakis, Ioanna Dretta, Managing Director of Marketing Greece, the Deputy Governor of Lassithiou Yiannis Androulakis, tour operators of alternative tourism and foreign media. As the Deputy Regional Director of Tourism, Mr. Kyriakos Kotsoglou stated:
“Crete, in order to highlight all its incomparable advantages in Tourism, must “unfold” its season in space, time and thematic forms of its Tourism. And the UNESCO sites it has are its most magnificent and World Heritage to achieve this”.
Finally, within the framework of the exhibition, it was agreed with representatives of UNESCO and Google the further targeted promotion of the 4 UNESCO Areas of Crete through the Google Arts & Culture online platform.
