Tourism Minister Olga Kefalogianni has highlighted the prospect of Crete developing into an international tourism hub, leveraging the new airport at Kastelli and its potential to accommodate direct flights from long-haul markets such as the United States and India.

Speaking at the Rethymno Tourism Summit 2026, held at the Theartemis Palace Conference Centre in Rethymno, Kefalogianni said the new airport would provide a major boost to development across Crete, stressing that its reach would extend beyond destinations in its immediate vicinity.

“At some point, Crete will become a hub,” she said, adding that partnerships with other destinations needed to be explored from now on. She linked this prospect to the importance of the Northern Road Axis of Crete (BOAK), underlining that the island must be prepared in terms of the tourism product it offers by the time the new infrastructure comes into operation.

The minister also backed allocating part of the climate crisis resilience fee to local authorities, enabling destinations to fund their infrastructure and its management.

Referring to Rethymno, Kefalogianni noted that an agreement had been signed with the municipality to establish a Destination Management and Marketing Organisation. Through cooperation between central government, local authorities and the private sector, she explained, a plan would be drawn up for managing and promoting the destination, which would require funding.