Meet Dimitra Voziki, Director of the Hellenic National Tourist Office in Paris

Is business tourism important for Crete?

Dimitra Voziki - Like Athens and Thessaloniki, Crete has a real capacity to develop the MICE segment, particularly as it is the country's largest island and offers many more possibilities than the Cyclades, where events can only accommodate 100/200 people. The hotel offer is vast and diversified, with urban hotels, large resorts, boutique hotels and luxury 'villages' such as Elounda. New hotels are being planned and are due to open in 2017-2018.

The Cretans really do have a special way of welcoming people

What are the other strengths of the destination?

D. V. - Firstly, its good value for money, but also its ease of access, with two airports and motorways for quick transfers; in addition, of course, to its cultural heritage and seaside activities. And then there are the Cretans. The Greeks are warm-hearted, but the Cretans really have a special way of welcoming people, a style that's a bit 'crazy' in the good sense of the word.

How can we help people discover this authenticity?

D. V. - Alongside mass tourism, there are options for a different kind of tourism. For me, the mountain villages offer a real experience, a different pace of life from the big cities, where people get on with life. Tours can be organised with experts who love to help you discover their region, its gastronomy, the spots popular with the locals and the village festivals. Flights are concentrated on the summer season.

Isn't that a hindrance?

D. V. - In recent years, we have been trying to extend the season throughout Greece. Flights start earlier in the spring and stop later in the autumn. But this takes time. The procedure for a new airport at Heraklion is also under way. This will make it possible to cope with traffic congestion in summer, but also to increase the number of flights in spring and autumn, and why not in winter? Especially as it never gets cold in Crete, you can go swimming at Christmas.