- Crete participated in the Vakantiebeurs international tourism fair in Utrecht, Netherlands, from 8–11 January, with its own pavilion.
- Goal: promote Crete’s tourism product and strengthen arrivals from the Dutch market.
- The Dutch market ranked 5th in 2025 based on air arrivals to Heraklion and Chania airports.
- Despite poor weather at the fair, Crete’s pavilion attracted high visitor traffic and promoted authentic year-round experiences.
- Visitors to the pavilion included:
- Greece’s commercial attaché in The Hague, Apostolos Michalopoulos
- Acting head of GNTO (EOT) in the Netherlands, Eleftheria Fili
- Strategic 2026 goals highlighted:
- boost international recognition
- diversify tourism product
- extend tourist season
- spread tourism activity geographically across Crete
- promote “sustainable” tourism growth
- Crete’s delegation included:
- Deputy Regional Governor for Tourism Dr. Kyriakos Kotsoglou
- Head of Tourism Dept., Heraklion regional unit: Eleni Vougioukalaki
- Head of Planning & Development: Olga Milioni
- Kotsoglou said the Dutch market has been flat since 2019, with around 230,000 visitors, unlike other markets that continue to grow.
- He noted that Crete returned to the fair after 2023, even though GNTO no longer participates.
Crete has returned to one of Europe’s most stubbornly reliable tourist markets: the Netherlands.
As part of its 2026 tourism promotion program, the Region of Crete participated in the Vakantiebeurs, the major international travel exhibition in Utrecht, held 8–11 January. The goal was clear: keep Crete visible, desirable, and proudly present in a market that already loves the island — and could, with the right push, love it more.
Because yes: the Dutch are not just “a nice market.” They are now a serious pillar.
In 2025, the Netherlands ranked 5th in air arrivals at Heraklion and Chania airports, maintaining a strong position in the post-pandemic ranking.
Even amid brutal weather on exhibition days, Crete’s pavilion reportedly saw high foot traffic, and visitors were introduced to what the Region describes as the island’s comparative advantages — including authentic experiences available year-round.
The pavilion was also visited by Greece’s commercial attaché in The Hague, Apostolos Michalopoulos, and the acting head of the Greek National Tourism Organisation (EOT) office in the Netherlands, Eleftheria Fili.
Crete’s 2026 Strategy: More Visibility, Longer Seasons, Wider Spread
Officially, Crete’s participation in Vakantiebeurs fits into the Region’s strategic goals for 2026:
- increase international destination awareness;
- diversify the tourism product;
- extend the season;
- distribute tourism activity across the whole island.
In simpler words: fewer tourists squeezed into the same spots in the same months, and more movement across the map — ideally in spring, autumn, and winter too.
Whether reality follows strategy is, of course, the classic Cretan question.
A Dutch Market That Loves Crete… but Isn’t Growing
Deputy Regional Governor for Tourism Dr. Kyriakos Kotsoglou framed the Dutch market with unusual honesty.
He stated that while Crete’s international and domestic air arrivals in 2025 showed strong performance again, the Dutch market is not growing as much as the others. Instead, it has remained stable since 2019.
As he said:
“The Dutch market is stagnant in numbers since 2019, close to 230,000 visitors… unlike all other markets that continuously grow.”
Kotsoglou also noted that Crete returned to the Netherlands after 2023 — even though GNTO no longer participates in Vakantiebeurs — because absence has a price:
“The Dutch showed their love at our pavilion… optimistic signals for this year. However, absence and inconsistency have their cost… everywhere.”
A very diplomatic way to say: if you do not show up, you get forgotten. Even in a country that already likes you.