MAICh Drives Crete’s Green Tourism Transition
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Crete is strengthening its role in Europe’s green transition agenda through a coordinated dialogue that brings together research institutions, public authorities and tourism stakeholders. On Friday, 28 August 2026, the 7th Local Stakeholders’ Meeting of the European project DETOCS — Decarbonising the Tourism Industry Post Covid 19 Support — took place online, under the INTERREG EUROPE framework, with the Mediterranean Agronomic Institute of Chania (MAICh) and the Region of Crete as key partners. Co funded by the European Union and national resources, the project aims to improve regional policies that support the decarbonisation of the tourism sector, with a particular focus on hotel infrastructure and small and medium sized enterprises.
The meeting brought together representatives from academic and research institutions, municipalities, business associations and tourism bodies. Discussions centered on the transition to a low carbon tourism model, highlighting the need for energy efficient practices, sustainability oriented investments and policy frameworks that balance environmental, social and economic objectives.
MAICh played a pivotal role in the session. Dr. Georgios Aggelakis, scientific lead of the DETOCS project for MAICh, presented the project’s progress, actions and expected outcomes. His intervention underscored MAICh’s function as a bridge between European technical expertise and local implementation in Crete. Through its scientific guidance, MAICh provides the analytical foundation required for policy evaluation, energy efficiency planning and the adoption of decarbonisation strategies by tourism SMEs. Its contribution is now clearly visible: Crete benefits from a structured mechanism that connects research with real world application, enabling businesses to adapt to the demands of the green transition.
Dr. Ioannis Vourdoubas, Chemical Engineer and specialist in sustainable energy technologies, expanded on the technical dimension of the transition. He presented examples of renewable and energy efficient technologies, soft impact sustainability measures for hotels, and the main challenges and risks associated with decarbonisation when not supported by integrated planning. His analysis highlighted that decarbonisation is not merely a technological issue but a combined challenge of investment readiness, operational culture and long term policy commitment.
From the Region of Crete, Mr. Nikolaos Papastefanakis discussed the evaluation of the new call “Green Business Transition in Crete”, which supports existing enterprises in adopting environmentally friendly processes. The call directly incorporates lessons learned from DETOCS, transforming knowledge generated through stakeholder exchanges into funding tools that reduce carbon footprints and improve resource efficiency. The initiative is part of Priority 1 of the Regional Programme Crete 2021–2027, demonstrating the Region’s commitment to converting dialogue into actionable policy.
The meeting also included contributions from institutional representatives across Crete. Mr. Vasileios Myriokefalitis from the Municipality of Rethymno, Mr. Emmanouil Ntoukas from the Municipality of Chania, Mr. Theocharis Leontarakis from the Heraklion Hoteliers Association, Mr. Michail Christoforakis from the Rethymno Hoteliers Association, and Mr. Konstantinos Proimos, President of the Chania Federation of Tourist Accommodation Owners, all provided insights from the tourism sector. Additional contributions came from Mr. Panagiotis Sfakianakis of the Heraklion Chamber of Commerce, Professor Christos Lemonakis of the Hellenic Mediterranean University, Mr. Efstathios Gerampinis of the Technical University of Crete, and Dr. Antonios Kalogerakis of the Orthodox Academy of Crete. Their participation confirmed that decarbonisation requires multi level cooperation, combining academic knowledge, business experience and public administration.
Since the beginning of the project, local stakeholders in Crete have systematically examined strategies to reduce the carbon footprint of tourism SMEs, focusing on energy efficiency and soft sustainability measures. This process has created a stable ecosystem of collaboration, where research, policy and business jointly shape the future of tourism in Crete.
DETOCS is implemented by a broad European network coordinated by the Energy Agency of Podravje in Slovenia, with partners from Malta, Finland, Italy, Bulgaria, Hungary, the Netherlands and Germany. MAICh’s participation strengthens Crete’s international presence in sustainability and provides access to advanced European practices that can be directly applied to the island’s tourism economy.
Crete is now at a critical turning point, where the green transition is no longer a theoretical discussion but a concrete policy direction. Through MAICh’s scientific contribution, the island is shaping a tourism model defined by low emissions, high quality and strong environmental responsibility. The Institute’s impact is clear: Crete is acquiring the tools, knowledge and partnerships needed to lead Europe’s sustainable tourism development in the decade ahead.
