Mini Summit – Exploring Easter Traditions with Travel Massive Crete

Crete Travel Massive hosted a 2-day mini-summit during the Easter holiday to explore cultural tourism development and promotion.

This event wrap-up is authored by Mihaela Lica Butler – co-leader of the Crete Travel Massive and writer, travel journalist, vegan cookbook author, and PR pro. Thanks for sharing Mihaela!

Traditions as a tool for Urban Economic Development

For Cretans, and Greeks in general, Orthodox Easter is the holiest of the holies, a celebration of light, love, and faith, and an occasion to reflect on traditions and cultural values.

These principles were at the foundation of a unique event organized by the Cretan chapter of Travel Massive in collaboration with the Cultural Association of Argyroupoli, the Parish of Argyroupoli Rethymno, the Cretan Gastronomy Center, the Municipality of Rethymno, Crete Urban Adventures, Argyroupoli Arcus Suites and Argophilia Travel News.

Officials and experts from Rethymno Municipality, Greece academia, marketing and PR, international media sponsors, and local entrepreneurs gathered to inform and to brainstorm concerning the correct path toward this trending form of alternative tourism for Crete.

Traditions as a Tool for Rural Tourism Development

Inspiringly titled “Traditions as a Tool for Rural Tourism Development” the event was a transformational experience for the participants, as it offered an immersive perspective on rural life, culture, and heritage values, fostering deep connections with the locals and their efforts to innovate and evolve while respecting their ancient beliefs and rituals and preserving their ancient customs.

Tour of Argyroupoli

Instead of gathering in a conference hall, the participants met in the Square of St. John, in front of the church of Agios Ioannis, a monumental double temple, dedicated to Saint John and the Annunciation of the Virgin Mary.

Before the conference, the group walked down the narrow streets of Upper Argyroupoli guided by Rebecca Skevaki, manager of Crete Urban Adventures, and the owner of Argyroupoli Arcus Suites, Yiannis Deligiannakis, to familiarize themselves with their destination.

Argyroupoli is a fascinating blend of Venetian, Ottoman, and traditional Cretan architecture, well preserved and boasting incredible views of the valley below. During the tour, the participants had enough time to get to know each other, connect, and exchange ideas regarding the thematic of the conference, which took place in the intimate venue of the Cultural Association Office of Argyroupoli.

Summit Day 1 – Opening and Tourism Talks

The conference started with an opening statement by the Deputy Mayor of Rethymno Municipality for Culture and Tourism, Mrs. Pepi Birliraki, who stressed on the importance of innovation and heritage coexisting to develop sustainable cultural tourism for local communities in rural areas of Crete.

The summit’s agenda included four speakers who addressed different aspects of digital marketing, public relations, social media, sustainability, and developing meaningful cultural experiences for tourists.

Dr. Hatziarinakis’ presentation; “Linking Tourism Consumption to Domestic Products,” showed the positive and negative impacts, as well as the potential for the economy of Crete and rural villages, as well as for the wider Greek economy. His research provided a window into what balanced and sustainable tourism should look like.

And in line with the trend toward sustainability, “The Case of Enagron Ecotourism Village,” presented by Anastasia Chatziioannou, Project Manager at EyeWide Digital, provided a real-life example of an eco-friendly entrepreneurial development, also in Rethymno Prefecture.

Other important presentations at the conference included important marketing and sustainability discussions, melded to the cultural value proposition:

• “Cultural Appeal: How to Dazzle Travelers with Heritage Values,” by Mihaela Lica Butler, award-winning travel writer, owner of Pamil Visions Travel PR.
• “Experiential Tourism in Rural Areas: Sustainable Tourism Products that Amaze the Travelers and Benefit the Community,” presented by Anula Galewska, Business Manager at Urban Adventures and a Co-Founder of Travindy sustainable tourism news portal.

Summit Day 2 – Cultural Journey

The second day of the mini-summit took participants in an immersive cultural journey from early morning until midnight when the Candles of Good Friday turned to embers. The group first visited the Cretan Gastronomy Center to sample local fasting food and to learn all about Cretan oil at a unique olive oil tasting experience hosted by Mrs. Aspasia Stavroulaki.

Then, a guided tour of lower (Mycenean/ Roman) Lappa revealed National monuments in a natural setting beyond compare. An ancient road led down the Kollita gorge to the temple of Five Virgins – Thekla, Marianna, Ethane, Martha, and Mary – who, according to local legends, perished right on this spot. Further on, the visitor can see a series of Roman graves carved in limestone rock, now emptied of their remains and looted of their riches, yet still imparting a sense of sacred hard to put down in words. Today, this is a treasured site, respected and lovingly preserved by Lappa’s residents and local authorities.

As fascinating as the history of this hallowed space is, its nature is absolutely elevating. An enormous plane tree stands at the end of the ancient road as you descend the gorge, adorned with red ribbons. Often, travelers and pilgrims would stop under its shade to rest and to recharge their batteries before going back to their journeys.

Candles of Good Friday

Back to the Square of St. John, the small group of travel professionals was met by the young men of the village who were already busy putting together the incredible torches known locally as the “Candles of Good Friday.” They use 6 meters long reeds gathered from areas around the village to build huge torches they lit to honor the death of Jesus and to enlighten the path followed by the shepherd’s litany.

Building the candles is a long, laborious work, so the group had time for one last cultural stop before the main event of the day: they visited the LOOM shop to see the making of authentic, handmade Argyroupoli tapestries. Local women, owners of the shop, demonstrated their tradition on archaic foot-treadle operated looms.

Finally, when the dark of the night enveloped the village, the fantastic “candles of Good Friday” were lit, then carried by groups of three men on their shoulders, and finally tossed into a huge bonfire at the heart of the square. This tradition, which is traced back to the times when the village had no electricity and public lighting, ended the day and marked the end of the “Traditions as a Tool for Rural Tourism Development” summit too.

So, besides the professional notes scribbled on the agenda of the event, participants also took in cultural notes, which made the experience even more meaningful for all.

During our two days event, we were happy to have with us Mrs. Ioanna Serafeimidou, family travel and leisure advocate blogger from Thessaloniki.

– Mihaela

Thanks to our Sponsors: Arcus Suites, Crete Urban Adventures, Argophilia Travel News, Cretan Unique Lodges, Strata Walkin Tours, Ancient Lappa Tavern (Ταβέρνα Αρχαία Λάππα) and Dourakis Winery.