As part of the RETES project, CCI Intervention held a meeting with representatives of the Municipality of Malevizi to plan the next local actions in the project’s pilot area in Crete.
On Friday, 13 March 2026, a local coordination meeting was held in the Municipality of Malevizi, Crete, within the framework of the RETES project. The meeting was organised by CCI Intervention and focused on planning the next steps of the project at local level, with particular attention to cooperation between the tourism sector and civil protection actors.
RETES – Resilience Enhancement in Tourism through Education and Skills – aims to strengthen the capacity of tourism destinations to prevent, prepare for and respond to climate-related risks and emergencies. The project focuses on raising awareness, improving skills and promoting structured cooperation between tourism stakeholders, vocational education and training providers, local authorities and civil protection systems.
The meeting in Malevizi represented an important step in launching the local activities of the RETES pilot area in Crete. Discussions focused on how the tourism sector can better anticipate and respond to risks that may affect visitors, tourism businesses, infrastructure and local communities. Particular emphasis was placed on the need to connect tourism planning with civil protection mechanisms, especially in areas exposed to climate-related hazards such as wildfires, heatwaves, flooding and other emergency situations.
Malevizi is one of the five RETES pilot areas and offers a highly relevant context for the project. Located near Heraklion, the municipality combines important coastal tourism areas with inland villages, natural landscapes and environmentally sensitive sites. This diversity makes local cooperation especially important, as different actors must be prepared to manage risks that may affect both residents and visitors.
The first stakeholder meeting in Malevizi brought together representatives from the municipality and the RETES project team. Participants included Ms. Chrysa Lyroni, Deputy Mayor of Tourism and Culture of the Municipality of Malevizi; Mr. Ioannis Maris, Deputy Mayor of Technical Works and Civil Protection; Mr. Yiannis Bezos, Special Associate of the Municipality of Malevizi; Mr. Giorgos Stratigis, Administrator of CCI Intervention; and Ms. Maria Giampoulaki, RETES Project Manager.
Their participation underlined the importance of involving local authorities and project partners from the beginning of the process. By bringing together tourism, culture, technical services and civil protection perspectives, the meeting helped establish a shared basis for future actions in the pilot area.
The outcomes of this meeting will support the next stages of RETES in Malevizi, including stakeholder engagement, local mapping activities and the identification of training and cooperation needs. These actions will contribute to the development of project resources aimed at strengthening resilience in tourism destinations across Europe.
Through this first local meeting, RETES continues to build the foundations for more prepared, connected and resilient tourism ecosystems, starting from the specific needs and realities of each pilot area.