Minoas 2024: Crete’s Creta Maris Resort Holds Earthquake Drill

The participants of Creta Maris Resort’s 12th annual evacuation drill.

The Creta Maris Resort in Hersonissos, a member of Metaxa Hospitality Group, recently conducted its annual evacuation drill as a part of the biggest evacuation exercise ever to be held on the island of Crete.

Dubbed “Minoas 2024”, the evacuation exercise was organized by the Ministry of Climate Crisis and Civil Protection, the Earthquake Planning and Protection Organization and the Region of Crete.

The hotel’s preparedness exercise, held for the 12th year, was focused on training staff members and guests in the event of a 7.2 earthquake (30 km north of Heraklion) followed by a tsunami.

According to the hotel’s management, the drill also included training in the event of a fire, a gas leak, the transportation of injured people and the evacuation of the hotel.

Some 400 hotel guests and 200 employees participated in the exercise.

“Such drills are intended to ensure the safe operation of the hotel, as guests want to feel safe in addition to having a good time on their holiday,” said Creta Maris Resort General Manager Nikos Vlasiadis.

The successful earthquake drill at the Creta Maris Resort was carried out under the guidance and supervision of Dr. Efthymios Lekkas, professor of Dynamic Tectonic Applied Geology & Disaster Management at the National & Kapodistrian University of Athens.

“For Metaxa Hospitality Group, the absolute commitment of our hotels to the safety and health of guests and employees is non-negotiable,” said Metaxa Hospitality Group Managing Director Andreas Metaxas.

“We are proud to have been invited to take part in the largest preparedness exercise ever held in Crete,” Metaxas added, “as such an exercise has always been a vision of the Group.”