On May 28, 2008, the judges reviewed the entries for the Changemakers “Geotourism Challenge” and would like to pass on this feedback for your entry. Thank you for applying and for your hard work in the field. We are excited to archive your entry to serve as a leading solution for the worldwide community of sustainable tourism innovators. We wish you continued luck with your sustainable, innovative, and socially impactful initiatives.

All the best, The Changemakers Team

“I commend the founder for the ingenuity in conceiving of and initiating this initiative. The fact that the program has generated worldwide attention and acclaim is a testament to the founder’s efforts. She should be profiled as a leader in the field of sustainable tourism.”

“I would love to learn more about the organization’s long-term plan for sustainability. How will it maintain the passion and commitment of the founder and sustain itself as a leader in the field if or when she eventually retires?”

-Changemakers Geotourism Judges: National Geographic Society, Past President the Ford Foundation, whl.travel - World Hotel Link, ICICI Foundation for Inclusive Growth.

Dear Nikki,
here is how I understand your idea to bring together two different cultures, the one of rural Crete with the one of the Global Community.
The population of Greece and its turn this of the Island of Crete has an increasing tendency to abandon the rural areas pursuing the "attractions" of the large urban areas of the regions of Crete and Greece.
The succes of your idea was to keep it small and beautifull. The "Crete's Culinary Sanctuaries", helped many villages of Crete to benefit in a unique way, and not to become commercial at all following the mass tourisms techniques.
The locals offer their long time traditional knowledge about the famous Mediterranean diet, in its Cretan version, to lots of people visiting the Island of Crete trying to find the simple and genuine. This unique combination helps the rural population to find a meaningfull way to earn a small income and the most important find that they are important to the society by showing in practice their knowledge about feeding as it was accumulated over 5000 years and transfered from generation to generation without interruption. So there is one more benefit the preservation of feeding habits of a local people and their transfer to other members of our Global Community saving them from being forgotten as it has happened in many places around the world. A simple but unique idea is proved to be very successfull and mutually usefull and profitable for all.
I must congratulate you for your idea your efforts and courage to fight all kind of difficulties which are usual in the application of innovative ideas in Greece and for your respect for traditions and local culture.
Wishing you every future success.

Apostolis Papageorgiou, Environmental Protection Consultant,
Athens, Greece

Hi Nikki,
From a fellow food and wine enthusiast and travel writer to another, congratulations on making it to the finals in the Geotourism Challenge!

I have loved my travels to Greece. I'll be sure to look you up if I am ever in your area. Best wishes on continued success with Crete's Culinary Sanctuaries.

Nancy Brown
Travel Writer
What a Trip
Northern California
http://blogs.bootsnall.com/What-A-Trip/

We recently spent a week in Crete, to investigate its cuisine and related agriculture. Crete has much to offer the interested tourist, and the world more widely - the delicious food, wonderful fresh produce, traditional and natural small-scale farming, wonderful countryside and nature, the kind people full of ancient local knowledge.

But it became clear very quickly the extent to which mass/generic tourism is destroying all this rapidly with its ugly concrete blocks, huge ecological footprint and neglect of authentic Cretan culture and cuisine. Things are being lost forever, as we read this website.

And not just 'quaint' or 'pretty' things, but knowledge (about wild plants, cooking methods, architecture, farming and much, much more), which is vitally important to preserve for the sake of future generations not only in Crete but even the whole world.

Nikki Rose's model is 110% sound. We need more initiatives like this, and we need goverments which restrict the greedy paws of those involved in mass tourism and agribusiness. Everyone involved in tourism, however small their outfit, could take a leaf or three out of Nikki's book. I would even say it is actually a moral imperative to do so!

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www.culinaryanthropologist.org

From the moment I received my first letter from Nikki Rose of Crete's Culinary Sanctuaries, I knew I'd come across someone remarkable, and a program deserving support and that the world needed to know about. As author of "The New Agritourism: Hosting Community and Tourists on Your Farm," I had access to incredible people across the planet, but chose to interview Nikki as a very important voice in this book. Both I and my publisher realized we'd come across a gem. CCS operates from a very deep knowledge, and is succeeding at protecting one of the most ancient and remarkable social and agriculture systems still remaining on the planet. It's done in a way that's not only powerful with a "big picture" vision in its own right, but we can all learn from, adapt, customize and apply its principles in other locations. Nikki Rose and CCS seem to already have an awareness of what others might be "feeling" but can't quite articulate or implement. In my opinion, CCS is ahead of the game and if they are recognized as such, their program is a beautiful light that can help take us into a very bright new future.

We cooperate with Nikki for four years now. Niki and Vamos company located in Vamos traditional village, Chania area( main activities :traditional cottages, traditional products, cooking lessons, country walks ) have the same premises: TO PROMOTE the IMAGE of AUTHENTIC CRETE.

And only people like Nikki who have a deep knowledges and estimation of the local values, can be the proper link between us and the visitors that are interested in learning about these traditional places. Moreover, she is helping us a lot how to appreciate our culinary tradition. Thank you Nikki and all the best.

Elena Nika

For Vamos sa. Company

From the Rodale Institute: "Video illustrates how and why organic farming could be our best hope for curbing global warming." It also covers issues of *healthy soil=healthy food=healthy people.*
http://www.rodaleinstitute.org/20080411/gw2

Greater awareness of this issue and the connection to travel:
1. Encourage the travel industry to support the expansion of organic agriculture and tourism-related businesses to purchase local organic products
2. Support Eco-Agritourism Projects
3. Better food!

All the best,
Nikki

Hi Nicki,
I really hope my family get to come and experience one of your culinary experiences! Can children come too? I have an entry here aswell -a web and ecotravel guide to New Zealand. I would like to exchange links with you and really just connect and say I really love the sound of what you have achieved and what you are doing.
leonie

nominated by: gio | April 11, 2008
George Dimitriadis of BIOLEA. www.biolea.gr

Project Description:
Crete's Culinary Sanctuaries has been the connecting link between the visitors with inquisitive mind who are interested to learn about the place and the people they visit, and the local people who live outside of the touristic virtual reality. Culinary tradition is used by Nikki Rose as the common language and the connecting medium for transcultural contact. All the best. George Dimitriadis

gio's Story:
Nikki Rose managed against all odds to convert an idealistic summer night's dream in to a true transcultural bridge. Bu doing so she helped small family operations who exist out side of the touristic path to survive by telling their story and making them feel needed. Biolea is producing (for six generations) stone milled and cold pressed organic olive oil in a small Cretan village and we thank her for all her support.

I had the opportunity to see both the problems and the promises of tourism development in Crete assisted by Nikki Rose of CCS. The problems are among the most challenging anywhere - mass tourism development siphoning off scare water resources for new hotels and golf courses, paying little respect to cultural authenticity or the fragile environment. The promises are at the heart of Nikki Rose's work with CCS - supporting a growing number of Greeks who are farming organically, restoring stone villages and promoting a new vision for tourism that respects Greece's natural and cultural heritage. It is an inspiration to others.

I have known Nikki for some years now and can confirm she is genuinely interested in Ecotourism (Ecological Tourism) and passionate about bringing about real change in the world. Crete is lucky to have her, and our politicians, business, and academia should pay more attention to projects such as Crete's Culinary Sanctuaries rather than pharaonic golf & villa projects, masquerading as 'sustainable'.

Antonis Petropoulos
Editor, ECOCLUB
http://www.ecoclub.com

For Nikki and her programs does not fit "big words".
She have a unique ethical approach to the subject and sometimes I could say against the quality of her life.
Truly I believe that she's more Cretan than most of us are.
We are collaborate time to time but she is always supporting us with advises , new ideas, as introducing our work every where she goes and providing courage to keep going on with quality and humbleness.
We feel lucky to know her!!

Our kindest regards

Milia Team

Dear Friends,
We fell in love with Crete - its people and its landscape - 30+ years ago. In that time we have seen many changes, some for the better some for the worse.

As tourism becomes the mainstay of the Cretan economy, developments are inevitable. Many are ugly, a shame but not a catastrophe. Others may be beautiful but environmental and cultural disasters. The current proposal for the Cavo Sidero golf resort falls in the latter category. We know this area well because for the last two years we have been conducting environmental and archaeological research there. It is a museum of ancient field systems and settlements unique in Crete. It is also home to endemic flora and fauna. The proposed golf resort is ludicrous given the semi-desert climate and environment and
a travesty given the antiquities it will destroy and endemics it will threaten.

We have recently organized an online petition
to protest the construction of this golf resort. If you are in agreement, please sign it and pass it on.

http://www.thepetitionsite.com/1/Save-the-Cretan-landscape

Please contact us if you are interested in more information on why we are convinced this development is sadly
misdirected.

The court case is now set for May 9th. Time is short.

Thank you for your consideration,

Jennifer Moody Oliver Rackham
hogwildjam@mac.com or10001@cam.ac.uk
authors of "The making of the Cretan landscape", 1996
"I Dimiourghia tou Kritikou Topiou", 2004

As a food writer who encourages people to embrace traditional Greek foods and the healthy lifestyle that accompanies the classic Cretan tradition, the work CCS does is critically important. A growing world awareness of the importance of sustainable agriculture, artisan ventures, organic farming, and eco-responsible living should be drawing attention to Greece in general, and Crete specifically, due to our centuries of history. However, lack of support can result in our losing these elements of our cultural heritage - elements that *should* be in the world's spotlight. CCS is a remarkable effort to preserve the best of our culture and move forward responsibly with a view to the legacy we leave to future generations.

As a resident of Hawaii, I have seen the effects and loss of culture and the environment due to unsustainable tourism. Many of the local people have had to leave the Islands and have taken much of the culture with them as growth has made it economically impossible for them to continue living in their place of birth.

I have visited Nikki Rose in Crete and saw what she is doing there to preserve the rich culture, heritage and environment of Crete. With my background as a pioneer in the promotion of organic agriculture here in the United States, I am more aware than most of the importance of what she and her team are trying to accomplish through educating locals and visitors about sustainable ways to live that benefit both the local and global community.

As the founder of a non-profit foundation dedicated to making this a healthier world through eating healthier, I also appreciate the education Nikki is providing regarding the Mediterranean diet, a heritage that has provided Crete with healthiest population in the world. At a time when the healthy food traditions of the world have increasingly been replaced with prepared and processed foods, the Mediterranean diet has become increasingly renowned for its health-promoting qualities. It is a rich heritage that should not only be preserved but promoted.

Greetings,

I'm copying the nominations for CCS here, so all info is on one page.

All the best,
Nikki

CCS Nominated by Margie Gibson March 22:

Nikki Rose has developed an innovative program that introduces visitors to the culinary traditions and small producers on Crete. She tailors programs for the particular interests of each group, introduces her guests to the history of the island, the geological and botanical elements that shape the variety of foods, and brings visitors into local homes to experience the warmth and hospitality of the hosts as well as the local cooking. Sitting at the table together, hosts and visitors are able to talk, share stories, and understand each other’s home and life.

Margie Gibson's Story:
Nikki has used her knowledge and love of Greek culture, and particularly of the traditions of Crete, to help visitors experience the island in a way that is not available for the casual tourist. She is contributing to the local economy and interacting with the people in ways that will support them and help them maintain their identity and traditions. Nikki’s efforts and value are in stark comparison to the tour companies that bring in the hordes of tourists that use their time to drink, shop for cheap trinkets, and clutter the shoreline like so many bleached whales. Nikki’s enthusiasm is contagious. Her commitment to her community has made her and her program into an effective ambassador for Crete.

Fascinating organization! Having visited Greece before, I've seen the problem of mass tourism and your work sounds like a much needed change.

Also, I was wondering how many local partners you work with in Crete? When you first came up with the idea for CCS, did you find that local businesses were very responsive to it right away? If not, how did you go about securing the support of local people and businesses?

Best,
Keren

Reynolds Ashoka Ambassador
New York University School of Law
J.D. Candidate 2010

Hello Nikki,
Exciting entry! Can you give some numbers on the actual impact CCS is having? How many travelers have used CCS? In what tangible ways have you seen the local economy and environment change as a direct result of your work? I look forward to hearing your response.
Dana Frasz
Ashoka's Changemakers

In Crete, as in the rest of Greece, mass tourism is rampant, without regard to its effect on the environment and local culture. Why? Because there is a lot of quick money to be made from tourism. But the cost to the traditional way of life, the environment, and the culture is immense. Crete's Culinary Sanctuaries is a one of a kind program that provides remuneration to the locals, while at the same time cherishing, featuring, and sharing their culinary traditions. It showcases the real Cretan diet, the one that sustains generations of vibrant and healthy people. It is difficult for societies to resist the push of food monopolies and their devastating influence on the health of their people. This program showcases the traditional healthy diet, informing those who visit with active participation, and reinforcing its value to the residents. At a time when diabetes, obesity, and other degenerative diseases are inundating our world, a program which showcases a proven life-style and diet is invaluable.