Once a year for twenty years, two families from Germany choose Crete as the place to relax and enjoy their holidays. They come again and again, because it feels like home to them. They usually stay at the same hotel and the staff welcomes them with the warmth of old friends. They feel the same way about the people of the Island and they can’t wait to leave their own rainy countries behind, to start their holidays, one more time in sunny Crete.
The repeat visitors to the Island are in their thousands and they enjoy the same hospitality, whether they stay in small rented rooms in Agia Galini, or in a luxury hotel in Elounda. They interact with the locals, swim, eat fresh fish by the water’s edge and start planning their next visit to their favourite Island. Even for the 80th time!
Just a few days ago, the Times newspaper wrote a piece about the 84 year old Sheila Cook, a British tourist who is getting ready for her holidays on Crete in May, for the 39th time.
In the article, titled “Welcome back Madame for the 39th time”, the faithful friend of Crete said that she always stays in the same hotel, the Elounda Mare and the staff are waiting for her on arrival, in reception with flowers. “Crete is my second home, I feel safe there”, she said, noting that she had won a cruise holiday once, but gave it away as a gift and flew back to Crete, instead.
83 year old Italian, Andrea Skafarto, a lover of Crete, has been coming twice a year, for the last 33 years. “I love your Island more than I love Italy”, he once said in an interview, with the Patris newspaper. He never tires of walking in the countryside and clinking glasses of raki with the friends he has made in all the villages.
Mr. Skafarto always stays at the Amirandes Hotel, but he has travelled the whole Island and has walked the Samaria Gorge three times. He speaks very good Greek, knows lots of mantinades and every time he comes, he brings chocolates and gifts for the children of the people who have become his friends on the Island.
From the villages, once they see me, they all come running to hug me. They all love me and the gifts that I bring with me. We sit in the kafenion and eat, drink, share jokes and mantinades. I feel that in Crete, I have lived another life and I will carry on visiting for as long as I can. I wish that I had bought a house here when my wife was still alive. Now it is too late but it doesn’t matter, because the people of Crete are always here and waiting for me.
“The 60-70% of our guests are “repeaters”. We have families from England, Germany, Switzerland who come again and again. There are guests of ours who have been visiting twice a year, for more than 40 years. For us, this is very important, as they have told us that they feel at home here. We know their habits, we know what they want and we offer it to them, before they even get the chance to ask. Their return for so many years, gives us great satisfaction and pleasure”, Manolis Rasoulis, manager of the Elounda Beach % Bay Hotels told the newspaper.
“The return guests, are in their thousands. We offer them hospitality, warmth and intimacy, we create the need for them to keep coming back and that is important and valuable”,noted Mr. Georgos Pelekanakis, the President of the Cretan Hotel Managers Association.
The tourism consultant for the Region of Crete, and businessman in the Industry, Mr. Michalis Vamiedakis, said that the repeat tourist business that Crete has achieved is a major asset. He added that “the visitors from our traditional markets of Britain, Germany, Austria and Holland etc. are around 25-30% return visitors. From newer markets, such as Russia, there are now approximately 15% who are repeat tourists. Usually, they are older people, who have fallen in love with the Island and it’s people and prefer to always stay in the same accommodation.
According to Mr. Vamiedakis, wherever they may stay, they feel at home and they love that familiarity that they receive here. They like the tried and tested option. It is not just the natural environment, the great climate, the hospitality, the good service and the fabulous food. It is the return to a friendly, familiar and beloved place.