Grecotel Promotes Cretan Lifestyle and Diet at Experiential Conference

Stefanos Kales, Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School with Antonia Trichopoulou, MD, PhD and President of the Hellenic Health Foundation. Photo source: Grecotel.

University professors from Greece and abroad gathered in Rethymno, Crete, earlier this month to attend an experiential conference and share their knowledge on the famous Cretan diet.

Held during November 7-11 at Grecotel’s Creta Palace and Caramel hotels, the first “Cretan Lifestyle: Mediterranean Tradition & Modern Applications” conference saw 25 renowned professors from leading Greek and foreign universities present enlightening research and interesting data on the health benefits of the Cretan diet and lifestyle.

Attending the event were over 100 professors and experts from 10 countries that had the chance to meet the area’s farmers, sample the local products of Crete and discuss the opportunities that would arise from their international promotion.

The was co–organized by the Hellenic Center for Health and Wellness Excellence non-profit initiative and the Nikos Daskalantonakis Group – Grecotel and held under the auspices of the Region of Crete and the ministries of Tourism, Foreign Affairs and Rural Development and Food.

Honors

(from left) Antonia Trichopoulou, president of the Hellenic Health Foundation; Dimitris Kalaitzakis, Grecotel’s Director of Operations; Popi Kalaitzi, MD, Physical Med. & Rehabilitation; Stavros Arnaoutakis, Crete’s Regional Governor; and Stefanos Kales, Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School. Photo source: Grecotel.

During the conference, a number of officials and experts were honored for their efforts in promoting the Cretan diet.

The list of honorees included Crete’s regional governor, Stavros Arnaoutakis; nutrition expert and president of the Hellenic Health Foundation, Prof. Antonia Trichopoulou; and university professor and researcher, Antonis Kafatos.

The awards were handed out by Dimitris Kalaitzidakis, Grecotel’s Director of Operations and Stefanos Kales, Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School.

Parallel events

AgrecoFarms bio and traditional products. Photo source: Grecotel.

The five-day event saw conference delegates enjoy Grecotel’s top notch hospitality as well unique experiences at the Group’s organic AgrecoFarms. Activities also included excursions, food tastings, traditional entertainment and a thematic dinner on Christian fasting at the Arkadiou Holy Monastery.

According to Grecotel, the conference’s parallel events helped draw attention to important aspects of Crete’s local products, highlight their export potential and promote the strong connection between the primary sector and tourism.

Photo source: Grecotel.

A leading Greek hospitality company in high-level tourism, the Nikos Daskalantonakis Group – Grecotel is considered a pioneer in linking tourism with the primary sector to the benefit of the local economy.