About Us
CRETAN HOLIDAYS, an established brand name in the Greek Tourism industry with 50 years of operation, is active in 12 major Greek destinations and serving more than 500.000 guests annually.
Our unparalleled experience and extensive know-how in the field, enable us to constantly deliver high level products & services at the most competitive rates. Our service portfolio includes but is not limited to Charter Operation Handling, Hotel Contracting Support, Flash Sales, Transfers (own bus fleet), Excursions, Groups & MICE, Shorex, Destination Weddings, Special Interest Travel, Car Rental and Representative Services.
Our company runs an own developed ERP software with a team of in-house developers, product owners and project managers, continuously working on its further expansion. The privately run software is a competitive advantage, which enables us to provide innovative technology solutions, allowing us to dynamically respond to rapidly evolving market changes. Advanced interfaces, XML connections with sub-second response times, industry-standard Cache data formats, various web services and web solutions for both our partners and internal needs, are already available with more to come.
The legacy of
Kostas & Roswitha Badouvas
Born in 1942 and having traveled around the world for 10 years as chief officer in the maritime industry, Kostas Badouvas with his ambition and strategic vision, is considered the pioneer of the Cretan tourism industry. His contribution to the development of tourism on the island of Crete is beyond comparison. In the early stages of tourism, Kostas could anticipate and gradually built a group of companies that covers all the needs of modern tour operating.

Cretan Holidays was mainly a one-man business, during the first years. Working day and night during the summer, supporting the operations, and visiting partners abroad during wintertime as well as exploring new co-operation potentials. Closing his career honorably, he was highly respected by the people of Crete and was elected for 2 consecutive periods as a member of Parliament, serving from 2004 -2012.

Roswitha was born in 1943, in Tirol -Austria and got married to Kostas in 1969. She started her studies in Crete and graduated with honors in 1971 as a licensed tour guide in English, German, French & Greek. Together they founded the company, and she supported her husband in finding their first partners in Germany. Partners who have become friends & family members along the way.

The success achieved over the decades was attributed to the integrity, honesty and a lot of hard work and straightforwardness towards partners, clients, and suppliers. These basic values along with the company’s good reputation allover Greece, equivalent to reliability and professionalism, built a solid foundation for the next management to continue the company’s further development, to the level where it is today.

For 37 years, she has been guiding all over Crete and was able to convey her love and admiration for the island and its culture, into the hearts of the visitors. Balancing between her work and family obligations, she was also the honorary consul of Austria, Switzerland, and Liechtenstein for 46 years, and has written a tourist guide on Crete and an analysis on the Pax Minoica.
Timeline

Mission
Statement &
Philosophy
To offer unparalleled authentic holiday experiences & professional support to our customers allover Greece, along with innovative technologies and a sustainable approach.

Inspired by the authentic Cretan Hospitality spirit, the pursuit of excellence in customer service is a daily commitment for all of us. We always go the extra mile to ensure both our partners and mutual customers get the outstanding personal service they deserve. We honor all our partners, regardless the size of their business, and always aspire to build long term partnerships based on mutual trust, respect and commitment.

Challenges create great opportunities. Embracing change and innovation, we are always looking for new ways to grow our organization and ourselves. We largely invest in new technologies and infrastructure, which enable us to respond to new market demands. At the same time, we constantly upgrade our product & service portfolio, and look to expand our activities into new source markets and niche markets.
Respecting the local environment and resources, sustainability is an integral part of our corporate philosophy. We implement sustainable methods in our daily operations and engage in many socio-environmental activities such as beach & municipal park cleanings, voluntary blood donations etc…

Cretan Holidays is a people-first company, a culture which we consider as a competitive advantage. We have always endeavored to create an unique, engaging work environment that inspires and motivates people, fostering loyalty and long-term commitment, resulting in consistently happy employees, customers and suppliers.
Our Performances
Our business performances illustrate the steady growth the company has been enjoying over the past decades, positioning it as one of the largest privately owned DMC’s in Greece.