Stavros Arnaoutakis
Governor of the Region of Crete
Each and every visitor of Crete embarks on a unique journey through images, flavors, aromas and memories throughout the year. Through the centuries, the Cretan diet has retained its quality features unaltered. With their exceptional beneficial properties for the human body, the products of the Cretan land compose the contemporary identity of Cretan cuisine.
The Region of Crete focuses particularly on the quality of the products of the primary sector, as well as on their quality assurance.
Our goal is to connect the effort, the ‘meraki’(the Greek word for “doing something with passion, absolute devotion, and undivided attention”), the ‘filotimo’ (which means “one’s responsibility to act in righteousness and honor”) of the local producers with the tourist and global market.
For every corner of Crete, every village, every city, from Zakros to Elafonissi and from Gramvousa to Ierapetra, constitutes a unique experience for the visitor. For centuries now, it is those images that make up a unique setting, a multi-dimensional mosaic composed by the elements of our culture, our Christian tradition, our customs and our natural landscape.
Crete is a unique, unrivaled tourist destination for all visitors. It is not only the elements of a modern tourist destination that attract millions of foreign visitors to Crete every year, but also the fact that Crete is a place endowed by nature that compensates the visitor, as century-long stories and traditions come to life on the vestiges of the Minoan civilization.
In this context, we wish every success to Mr. Angelopoulos and the contributors of the “SYMPOSSIO”, for their excellent effort to support the Greek as well as the Cretan gastronomy.
