CEO Minas Papadakis participates in international panel on sustainable resource management in island and coastal destinations
Heraklion Port Authority S.A. participated in the 13th Sino-European International Tourism Conference “Island & Coastal Tourism Futures – ICTF 2026”, taking place in Heraklion, Crete, from 21 to 24 September 2026 and bringing together representatives of the international academic community and the tourism industry.
Hosted by the Department of Business Administration and Tourism of the Hellenic Mediterranean University, ICTF 2026 focuses on the challenges and opportunities shaping the future resilience, competitiveness and sustainable development of island and coastal tourism destinations.
On the opening day of the conference, Mr Minas Papadakis, CEO of Heraklion Port Authority, participated in the Academia & Industry Panel “Sustainable Resources Management in Island and Coastal Destinations”, bringing together tourism industry leaders, academics and researchers to explore key issues affecting the long-term sustainability of island and coastal destinations.
The panel also featured Mr Manos Borboudakis, Metaxa Hospitality Group; Prof. Jaruwan “Nikki” Daengbuppha, Naresuan University, Thailand; Prof. Dimitrios Kalderis, Hellenic Mediterranean University; Dr Yolanda Koulouri, Hellenic Centre for Marine Research; and Mr Andreas Moniakis, Cretan Holidays.
The discussion highlighted the importance of effective resource management, destination resilience, public-private cooperation and the need to align tourism development with the environmental, economic and social priorities of local communities.
Heraklion Port Authority’s participation brought the perspective of ports and cruise tourism into the discussion, underlining the evolving role of modern ports not merely as gateways for visitors, but as active stakeholders in sustainable destination management and development.
For an island destination such as Crete, the sustainable development of cruise tourism is closely linked to effective visitor-flow management, environmental responsibility, efficient and future-ready infrastructure, and strong cooperation between ports, tourism stakeholders, businesses, the academic community and local society.
Heraklion Port Authority’s participation in international forums such as ICTF 2026 forms part of its broader commitment to international outreach, knowledge exchange and active engagement in the global dialogue on responsible and sustainable tourism and cruise development, while further strengthening the position of Heraklion and Crete as a modern, resilient and competitive destination.
