MONTREAL, NOVEMBER 24, 2010 – The World Centre of Excellence for Destinations (CED) announced the presentation of the official report of the System of Measures for Excellence in Destinations (SMED) to the island of Crete, Greece. This event was held in the prefecture of Heraklion, in the presence of Mrs Evangelia Schinaraki-Iliaki, Prefect of Heraklion, Mr. George Papadakis, Prefect of Rethymno, Mr. Anastasakis Sifis, Prefect of Lasithi, Mr. César Castañeda Vázquez del Mercado, CED Director of Operations, and Mr. Manolis Psarros, SMED expert.
According to Mrs. Schinaraki-Iliaki, “The recommendations given by the CED to the island of Crete as a destination will become a working plan for the years to come. The consolidation of the tourism industry of the island will be certainly supported by this complete work delivered today”.
“The island of Crete is the second destination in the Aegean Sea to recognize the value of a measurement system like the SMED and sign a partnership agreement with the CED. It is important to acknowledge the Cretan Quality Agreement for coordinating and managing all details throughout the SMED process. The authorities of the region will set up a working group whose objective will be to implement the recommendations made in the official SMED report”, said Dr. Castañeda.
The SMED is an evaluation tool developed by the CED that aims to identify the different levels of performance of a tourist destination, propose recommendations for improvement and increased competitiveness, and facilitate the integration of the destination in an international network of tourist destinations of excellence.
Based in Montréal, Québec, Canada, the CED has signed partnership agreements with Canada Economic Development for the Quebec regions, the Ministère du Tourisme du Québec and the Ministère des Affaires Municipales et des Régions du Québec.
About the CED
With its headquarters located in Montréal, the CED began operations in February 2007. The CED is a non-profit organization dedicated to the research and creation of tools to support the development of sustainable tourism for destinations around the world. The CED was created with the support of the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) and the National Geographic Society. For further information, please visit the CED website at: www.ced.travel
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Source: World Centre of Excellence for Destinations (CED)
Information: Dr. César Castañeda Vázquez del Mercado, Director of Operations – CED
Media: Nathalie Laberinto, World Centre of Excellence for Destinations (CED)
(+1) 514-871-1115 Ext. 226
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