Squint your eyes, focus a bit harder, and you'll spot Zeus hiding in the night skies above Crete, cannily transformed into a swan. You might even spy Orion striding across the darkness, but the secret is knowing where to look. Luckily, we have a team of local astrophysicists and astronomers showing us exactly where to cast our eyes, guiding us through the inky skies and introducing us to the mythology of the cosmos.
When discussing Crete with a client, its night skies are unlikely to be one of the highlights you currently pull out – but within a few years it could be one of the experiences you build into a mainstream package holiday on the Greek island.
On this special fam trip, six TTG Sustainable Travel Ambassadors are sat in camping chairs learning about the twinkling stars, as they hear about a three-year partnership between TTG Sustainable Travel Heroes' Tour Operator Partner easyJet holidays, and community tourism enterprise development organisation Planeterra. It’s designed to uplift local communities and support positive impact projects, including tonight’s host, PeriAstron. This group of enthusiastic experts offer educational and cultural activities and are on a mission to protect Crete’s dark sky sites and promote environmental awareness.
A cloudy night means our experience runs indoors, but after enjoying a tea made with local herbs, we watch as a special telescope perfectly simulates the night skies for us, and we hear how the ancient Greeks named the constellations.
Stargazing with PeriAstron
The following day we head north to the village of Panormos to enjoy another Planeterra-supported community tourism experience, focused on the humble carob tree. After visiting the unassuming trees on a hillside, we head to a renovated Carob Mill and learn about the tree’s complex history. It saved many of Crete's people and animals from starvation during World War II, but then became known as a famine food and was shunned for decades. Now locals are bringing it back to the fore, showcasing how its resistance to droughts and wildfires make it an excellent specimen for today’s tumultuous climate.
Throughout the experience we’re immersed in the history and story of the tree, as members of the community weave together carob-themed food, music, presentations and demonstrations of the renovated mill’s machinery. While the final product is still being developed, the hope is to create an enticing offering tourists will be clamouring to book.
Since launching their partnership in 2025, easyJet holidays and Planeterra have identified 10 projects to support across Crete, with a focus on tackling the climate and biodiversity crisis and supporting local people. Using funding they are now being developed into community tourism experiences, and some will be integrated into easyJet holidays’ offering from 2027.
Having enjoyed both the stargazing and carob tree experiences, Travel Counsellor and Ambassador Thea Gillingham explains: “Crete is such a beautiful island and there's so much good that we can do here. There are so many rural communities that could benefit so much from tourism that we don't currently give, and it's great to see this being implemented in a relatively mainstream way with easyJet holidays.”
A taste of Crete
The agents explored Crete's Agreco Farm
Crete’s famous food and wine is also on the menu on this fam, and keen to sample some of the island’s best produce we head to the organic Agreco Farm, which is owned by Grecotel Hotels & Resorts and supplies many of the group’s hotels.
As we explore the huge 40,000-square-metre estate we learn about the traditional Cretan farming practices still in use, and the agents get stuck in kneading and cooking bread, before sampling fresh honey, olives, olive oil and traditional cheeses. We whip off our shoes to help crush grapes for wine and learn the steps to traditional Cretan dances, before a delicious lunch overlooking the estate’s vineyards.
The farm is open to all visitors – not just Grecotel guests – and also has tours designed for children.
Ambassador Fiona Ollerhead from Escape the Ordinary explains: “The whole day was so immersive, and I loved how authentic the farm is. I'm going to be talking to loads of people about this amazing experience, particularly to people who are really interested in artisan ways of making and growing food. And also learning more about the traditions, particularly of Crete, but obviously the wider Greek community as well.”
Our itinerary also includes the family-run Titakis Winery, which is one of the oldest and largest wineries in Crete, producing around 600,000 bottles a year. On a tour the agents hear about the family’s dedication to reducing waste and energy, and how it supports its growers to embrace organic methods. Then it’s time to put our newfound wine knowledge to the test, sampling some of the winery’s produce. Yamas!
The agents enjoyed a wine tasting at Titakis Winery
The trip is being co-hosted by the TTG Sustainable Travel Heroes' Destination Partner, the Greek National Tourism Organisation, and UK and Ireland deputy director Angela Tzifa says the itinerary was devised to showcase a side of Crete many people aren’t aware of. She explains: “Crete is one of our biggest tourist destinations, and a very well-known destination, but we wanted to show that it also has a different face.
“We wanted to celebrate local communities who follow sustainable practices in everyday life. Sustainability really is a way of living here. For example, Cretan food is healthy, uses local products and promotes a long life. The message we want to get out is that you always need a local touch when travelling, and agents can connect their clients with these local people.”
Discovering Crete’s culture and history
The fam trip is being supported by the Region of Crete, and to shine a spotlight on one of the island’s top cultural highlights we visit the Minoan Palace of Knossos. We’re joined at the Unesco World Heritage Site by local guide Eleftheria Chatzea, whose energetic storytelling brings the stony runs to life. She explains how the palace dates to 2,000 BC and shares the history and legends behind Greek myths.
Ambassador and Travel Counsellor Lisa Connolly explains: “I’d recommend clients have a local guide as they’re really knowledgeable about the area. I’ll be advising my customers to come in the quieter shoulder season, as it’s an open-air site so it’s going to be really hot and busy in July and August. Plus, coming in the shoulder season helps spread the benefits of tourism.”
The agents at the Minoan Palace of Knossos
Showcasing more sustainable accommodation
During the fam the agents stay at the adults-only Cook's Club Hersonissos, which boasts 140 rooms, two stylish pools and an a la carte restaurant. The team are dedicated to reducing the hotel's waste and energy usage, and on a behind-the-scenes tour the Ambassadors hear how all rubbish is carefully sorted, with 85% going on to be recycled.
It’s among more than 2,000 properties in easyJet holidays’ Certified Sustainable range – nearly 100 of which are in Crete. They’re an excellent recommendation for agents to make, as easyJet holidays’ senior ESG manager Scott Lawson says customers are more likely to report higher satisfaction with properties in the range.
He adds: “At easyJet holidays, we’re committed to making more sustainable holidays mainstream. A key driver of our progress has been the expansion of our Certified Sustainable range, with more hotel partners earning certification. Cooks Club Hersonissos is a standout example, and it’s been fantastic to show our agents the inspiring work happening behind the scenes to ensure our holidays have a positive impact on the environment and local communities, while still delivering exceptional experiences for our customers.”
Hear more from the agents on the trip in this video:
To get more top tips on how you can sell more responsible travel experiences, visit ttgmedia.com/sustainabletravelheroes.
