Chania olive oil as a growth driver in the tourism economy of Crete

• The famous Chania olive oil is gaining new commercial and touristic potential through the development of olive tourism, as highlighted in the special conference organized by the Association of Olive-Growing Municipalities of Crete (SEDIK), in collaboration with the Region of Crete, at the Mediterranean Agronomic Institute of Chania (MAICH) within the framework of the LEADER Program.

Olive tourism, utilizing visitable olive mills, thematic routes, monumental olive trees, and networks of sites, is promoted as an important tool for strengthening the local economy and connecting olive oil with experiential tourism. With added value for Chania olive oil and new tourism prospects, olive tourism can develop dynamically in the Chania Regional Administrative Region.

The President of SEDIK and Mayor of Platanias, Yiannis Malandrakis, presented at the special event the first phase of the program which includes the recording of areas of tourist interest and monumental olive trees as well as the creation of walking routes of olive interest through which “…….the visitor will have the opportunity to get to know the area, taste local products, explore routes and experience the tradition of Crete…”.

For his part, the Deputy Regional Governor of Agricultural Economy of the Prefecture of Crete, Stavros Tzedakis, referred to “..the importance of identifying and standardizing olive oil, while olive tourism can give it new value”. Ms. Maria Bakatsaki, researcher at the Technical University of Crete and national representative in the European network of sustainable practices, analyzed during the conference “… how sustainable olive tourism can strengthen the identity of the place, while if linked to the production of organic products and ecotourism, it can contribute decisively to upgrading the tourist “brand” of Chania”.

Meanwhile, the President of the Olive Mill Owners Association, Eleftheria Mamidaki, emphasized that “.. the recent Joint Ministerial Decree for the creation of visitable olive mills is an incentive for entrepreneurs, where with the appropriate investment in infrastructure and personnel training, it can offer a new source of income and tourism development”.

Finally, the scientific associate of SEDIK, Nikos Michelakis, underlined “…that Crete has a rich cultural reserve with Ancient Monuments, 2,000 and 3,000-year-old olive trees, small museums and olive mills which, with the appropriate organization, entrepreneurship and infrastructure, can be transformed into places for tours and experiences”.

In the context of the Conference, awards were given for olive tourism activities for 2024, as well as a demonstration of organoleptic evaluation of olive oil by experts from IELYA – ELGO DIMITRA.

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