Forget Hollywood’s stars. Rethymno is giving its most loyal visitors trees — and frankly, we like the idea.
- Repeat visitors to Rethymno will be honored on World Tourism Day, September 27.
- Each honored visitor will symbolically “adopt” a tree to be planted in the city.
- The idea turns tourist recognition into something living that visitors can see growing when they return.
- With hotels still reporting strong occupancy into October, Rethymno is also trying to stretch its tourism season beyond summer.
Come Back and See How Your Tree Is Doing
Some destinations give loyal tourists a certificate.
Some give them a little plaque.
Rethymno is apparently taking the slightly more ambitious approach: “Here. Have a tree.”
On September 27, World Tourism Day, the city will once again honor repeat visitors who have returned to Rethymno year after year.
But this time, their recognition will come with roots.
Each honored visitor will symbolically adopt a tree that will be planted in the city. When they return to Rethymno in future years, they will be able to see their tree growing.
As Pepi Birliraki, vice president of the Rethymno Hoteliers Association, put it to the Athens-Macedonian News Agency:
“Others give stars to Hollywood. In Rethymno, we give trees.”
And honestly, that is a tourism slogan we can get behind.
A Souvenir That Actually Grows
Repeat visitors are already demonstrating that their relationship with Rethymno is not simply transactional. They come back because they have developed connections with the destination, its people, and often particular hotels, restaurants, beaches, and neighborhoods.
A tree gives that relationship a physical address.
Instead of leaving with another souvenir that eventually disappears into a drawer, visitors can return years later and look for something that has literally grown alongside their relationship with the city.
It also adds a sustainability component to the World Tourism Day ceremony without requiring a PowerPoint presentation containing the words green transition seventeen times.
Rethymno Is Still Busy
The tree ceremony comes at a useful moment for Rethymno.
According to Birliraki, hotel occupancy remains high through the end of September, with more than 30 hotels expected to remain open during October.
Tourist activity is expected to gradually decline afterward, with the season continuing into November.
Restaurants have also had a satisfactory summer, particularly during August.
The bigger question, as always, is whether strong visitor numbers translate into meaningful benefits across the wider local economy rather than concentrating the rewards in tourism’s usual corners.
And There Is More to Rethymno Than Summer
Rethymno is also trying to make the case for visiting outside the classic July-and-August window.
The old town, villages and hinterland, Cretan food, nature and cultural events offer plenty of reasons to come when temperatures are less determined to cook you alive.
This autumn brings an especially unusual cultural attraction.
The historic Arkadi Monastery is hosting Ivan Aivazovsky’s famous painting “The Explosion of the Arkadi Monastery.” Having the monumental work displayed at the historic site itself adds another reason to explore Rethymno beyond the standard sun-and-sea itinerary.
Meanwhile, Crete Keeps Going
Rethymno isn’t the only part of the island enjoying a strong autumn.
According to Nikos Chalkiadakis, president of the Heraklion Hoteliers Association, hotel occupancy across Crete remains high into October.
The island’s tourism season is increasingly stretching beyond the traditional summer peak, with activity continuing into November.
Which brings us back to those trees. A visitor returning to Rethymno next year won’t just be told the city appreciates their loyalty. They’ll be able to see it growing.
