The new Heraklion International Airport of Crete (DAIK) and the Natural Environment and Climate Change Agency (OFYPEKA) are joining forces to protect and showcase Crete’s natural wealth. DAIK and OFYPEKA have signed a Strategic Cooperation Memorandum aimed at safeguarding the island’s biodiversity and protected areas, raising environmental awareness and promoting a more sustainable model of tourism development.
According to the announcement, the memorandum was signed by Maria Papadopoulou, chair of OFYPEKA’s board and a professor, and Nikos Anastasiou, chief executive of Heraklion International Airport of Crete.
The two organisations will develop joint initiatives across three key areas: environmental education and awareness, the promotion of sustainable tourism and the protection of biodiversity.
Plans include establishing environmental information points at the new airport, promoting Crete’s protected areas and ecotourism routes through digital media, and developing campaigns to raise awareness of the island’s natural environment.
Showcasing and protecting Natura 2000 sites, endemic plant and animal species and Crete’s unique ecosystems, while linking the travel experience with environmental awareness, are priorities for both organisations.
Environment and Energy Minister Stavros Papastavrou said: “The memorandum between DAIK and OFYPEKA lays the foundations for long-term cooperation focused on sustainable tourism. Tourism development and environmental protection must go hand in hand. This is also the aim of the Special Spatial Framework for Tourism, which we recently established with Tourism Minister Olga Kefalogianni, setting clear rules that respect destinations and local communities.
Rules, however, are not enough. We need to join forces, as the new airport and OFYPEKA are doing today, to protect and showcase Crete’s natural wealth. Its unique landscapes are a precious heritage and one of the island’s greatest competitive advantages.
Congratulations to all the organisations that worked together to make the New Heraklion International Airport of Crete a focal point for environmental information and awareness for millions of visitors, helping to showcase the island’s unique natural wealth.”
Nikos Anastasiou, chief executive of Heraklion International Airport of Crete, said: “The new airport will be the first point of contact with Crete for millions of visitors each year. We want that experience to be associated not only with the island’s hospitality and culture, but also with its unique natural wealth. Through our cooperation with OFYPEKA, we aim to help protect the environment and promote more responsible and sustainable tourism.”
Maria Papadopoulou, chair of OFYPEKA’s board and a professor, said: “The new Heraklion International Airport will be not only a gateway to Crete, but also a gateway to discovering its unique natural wealth. Through modern initiatives to promote the island, environmental education and innovation, we aim to bring millions of visitors closer to its protected areas and biodiversity.
For OFYPEKA, this cooperation is an important opportunity to link the conservation and promotion of Crete’s natural capital with knowledge, creativity and sustainable development, for the benefit of nature and local communities.”
Heraklion International Airport of Crete has been established to build and operate the new international airport at Kastelli, Crete. Its shareholders are the Greek state (45.90%), GEK TERNA S.A. (32.46%) and GMR Airports Ltd (21.64%).