To mark World Tourism Day, celebrated annually on September 27, ARCHELON highlights a different aspect of the relationship between tourism and Crete’s natural treasures: the potential for hotel businesses to actively contribute to the protection of the beaches where the Caretta caretta returns every summer to nest.

This year, eight hotels in Crete received the "Turtle-Friendly Hotel" certification under the TUI Turtle Aid Greece program. Implemented by the TUI Care Foundation in collaboration with ARCHELON, the program aims to protect sea turtles and their habitats while fostering greater participation by the tourism sector in conservation efforts. The "Turtle-Friendly Hotel" certification is awarded to hotels that meet specific criteria and implement practices designed to protect sea turtle nesting beaches and minimize the impact of tourism activities on coastal habitats.

The award ceremonies took place on September 5 at Kato Stalos beach in Chania and on September 7 at Adelianos Kampos beach in Rethymno, locations where sea turtles return every year to lay their eggs. Certification was awarded to five hotel units in Chania and three in Rethymno:

• Aquila Rithymna Beach Hotel, Adelianos Kampos, Rethymno
• Caldera Beach Hotel, Gerani, Chania
• Caldera Creta Paradise Resort, Gerani, Chania
• Euphoria Resort, Kolymbari, Chania
• Geraniotis Hotel & Resort, Platanias, Chania
• Grecotel Caramel Resort, Adelianos Kampos, Rethymno
• Grecotel Creta Palace Resort, Misiria, Rethymno
• Mike Hotels & Apartments, Maleme, Chania

Approximately 60 people attended the event in Chania, including Mr. Grigoris Tzanoudakis, General Manager of Euphoria Resort, and Ms. Alexandra Kontaraki, Front Office Manager of Geraniotis Resort. The event was also honored by the presence of the Deputy Mayor of Chania, Mr. Giannis Drakakis, and the President of the Stalos Local Community, Mr. Polychronis Daskalakis.

"Sea turtle conservation is one of the key sustainability initiatives supported by the TUI Care Foundation in Greece. This week, we had the pleasure of recognizing our outstanding hotel partners for their commitment to protecting sea turtles," said TUI representative Mr. Mike Kwaaitaal at the event held in Rethymno.

Aquila Rithymna Beach was represented at the Rethymno event by General Manager Mr. Kostas Damanakis and Guest Relations Manager Ms. Maria Tavlariou; Grecotel Creta Palace by General Manager Mr. Charalambos Gialitakis; and Grecotel Caramel by Ms. Maria Gyftopoulou. Attendees from local authorities included Mr. Vangelis Archontakis from the Municipality of Rethymno’s Tourism Department and Mr. Konstantinos Gasparakis, the Municipality’s Tourism Advisor.

From certification… to real protection

The two ceremonies went beyond the mere presentation of certificates. Sea turtle conservation moved from theory to practice right on the nesting beach itself. Following the presentations, ARCHELON staff and volunteers conducted educational nest excavations, giving attendees the chance to see an actual nest up close, along with its eggs and the last hatchlings making their way to the sea.

In total, more than 250 people participated in the two events and the educational public awareness activities. For many of the attendees, the excavation offered a unique opportunity to observe the turtle's life cycle up close and to understand why protecting the beach is so vital to its survival. And just like that, a hotel operational certification became directly linked to something just a few meters away: a beach where the next generation of sea turtles is born.