Crete Region Promotes Island’s 4 UNESCO Sites at ITB Berlin Expo

Crete at ITB Berlin 2023. Photo source: Crete Region.

The Region of Crete agreed with UNESCO and Google to further promote Crete’s four UNESCO sites through the Google Arts & Culture platform, during a meeting at ITB Berlin 2023.

Aiming to introduce the traveling public to the four sites – Sitia, Psiloritis, Asterousia and Samaria protected under UNESCO – regional authorities set up a special stand at ITB in Berlin this month featuring alternative forms of tourism that are on offer there. The stand was also singled out among ITB’s Top 10 for environmentally friendly design.

Crete at ITB Berlin 2023. Photo source: Crete Region.

It should be noted that as part of the “Branding of the UNESCO Areas of Crete” project funded by the EU and the Region of Crete, National Geographic is featuring the four sites through its international edition, screenings on its television channel as well as two online campaigns which attracted over 9 million impressions in the UK, France, Italy and Germany.

Additionally, promotional and marketing actions for the promotion of Crete’s four UNESCO sites include the website, printed and audio-visual materials, as well as other initiatives in the pipeline.

Manning the UNESCO Crete stand at ITB were representatives from the Crete geoparks, National Geographic, and Paths of Greece, among others.

Crete at ITB Berlin 2023. Photo source: Crete Region.

During ITB, Crete tourism stakeholders as well as Greek National Tourism Organization (GNTO) Secretary General Dimitris Fragakis met with local tour operators specializing in alternative tourism and with media representatives.

“Crete can showcase its unique tourism offerings through thematic forms of its tourism and the island’s UNESCO sites are a great way to achieve this,” said Deputy Tourism Governor Kyriakos Kostoglou.