Crete Region attends NaTour4CChange conference in Brussels

At the final NaTour4CChange conference in Brussels, representatives from the Crete Region emphasized the necessity for island and regional authorities to lead the implementation of the future European Strategy for Sustainable Tourism.

Giorgos Alexakis, the Crete Region's Mandated Regional Councilor for European and International Affairs, highlighted that while the European Union sets strategic directions and mobilizes investments, the actual transition must occur within the regions and tourist destinations themselves. He noted that Mediterranean island regions face specific challenges, including high tourism dependency, limited water and soil resources, vulnerable ecosystems, and increasing exposure to climate change effects such as heatwaves, droughts, and wildfires.

Alexakis outlined four priorities for the new European strategy: a stronger spatial approach with regional flexibility, bridging the gap between strategy and implementation through investments in water resource resilience, energy transition, sustainable mobility, and biodiversity protection. He specifically mentioned Nature-based Solutions as part of Crete's resilience infrastructure, noting their pilot application in the municipality of Sitia.