In a new initiative to bolster tourist activity in Chania during the quiet winter months, Chania Hotels Association sent a letter to low cost airline companies and tour operators, asking for an extension of the flights period by another 4 weeks to mid November next year.
Chania Chamber of Commerce and the Hotels Association offer to help in any way they can to resolve any problems the air carriers may have, including a ‘subsidy’ for airport taxes while at the same time undertake to offer competitive end of season prices.
The airport taxes ‘subsidy’ is a common practice in popular tourist destinations in other countries where the benefits in terms of revenues generated more have than compensated for the expense of offering kickbacks to the air carriers.
The holiday home market in places where there are all year round flights also benefits.
We can only hope that the airlines will accept the offer and will at least extend the flights period by a few weeks as a start.
As we all know the weather in November can be unpredictable in Crete, so for their part the hotel owners will also need to be prepared to offer a ‘winter’ service that includes some form of heating and hot water if the experiment of extending the tourist season is to succeed.
