JOURNAL "SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT, CULTURE, TRADITIONS".................Volume 1a/2019 THE CONTRIBUTION OF CULTURE TO THE SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT OF THE MUNICIPALITY OF HERAKLION DOI: 10.26341/issn.2241-4002-2019-1a-6 Stylianos Stratantonakis Economist, Master in Sustainable Development, Harokopio University [email protected] Roido Mitoula Professor, Harokopio University of Athens [email protected] Helen Theodoropoulou Professor, Harokopio University of Athens [email protected] Panagiotis Kaldis Professor University of Western Attica [email protected] Abstract The purpose of this paper is to highlight the brand name of the Municipality of Heraklion through the use of its cultural heritage. As a first step an attempt was made to provide a complete description of the cultural heritage of the Municipality, through the recording of the material and intangible cultural elements. Subsequently an inquiry was made about the economic impacts of cultural tourism in the region and the signs, which are reflected by this type of tourism. In order to achieve these objectives, a bibliographic research was carried out and a questionnaire was distributed to three hundred (300) residents from the Municipality of Heraklion. For the summarization, the classification and the presentation of the primary data, the descriptive statistics methods were used. Specifically, in this paper, the percentages corresponding to the respondents’ answers to each question individually through tables and diagrams are presented, resulting in some conclusions. As it seems the overwhelming majority of the people that took part in inquiry, thinks that The County of Heraklion has a very important cultural heritage. In regard with the direction that the cultural tourism must develop in the region, it is to take place in the organization of cultural events throughout the year, the creation of modern and traditional hospitality facilities, better promotion of the region as a tourist attraction, cultural education programs and the pursuit of attraction of cultural tourism. Finally five (5) cultural routes were proposed, including all the important monuments and museums of the Municipality of Heraklion. Keywords: Brand name of Heraklion, Cultural Heritage, Sustainable Development, cultural tourism, Municipality of Heraklion Introduction Culture is a factor that can lead to the improvement of the economic and social conditions of a place. It also promotes sustainable local development, which is also a key pillar. Local authorities and institutions can promote the protection and enhancement of the culture of a site - 80 - JOURNAL "SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT, CULTURE, TRADITIONS".................Volume 1a/2019 by implementing appropriate policies and actions (Simeon et al, 20l4). One of these actions could be the use of cultural routes. In view of this, the cultural reserve of the prefecture of Heraklion was investigated, with the ultimate aim of proposing cultural routes for their promotion. The prefecture of Heraklion is a place where cultural expression has passed through various stages over the years and has quite flourished, giving it a unique cultural identity. The particular cultural elements of today should be preserved and promoted as a whole, and the objective of promoting cultural tourism can contribute to this direction. This county has a large number of ancient monuments, many of which are of worldwide range. Within its borders there are ancient palaces and villas, archaeological sites, ancient temples, Byzantine and Venetian monasteries and churches, aqueducts and common structures that have been preserved to this day. At the same time, there are more recent monuments and museums, and also a rich natural environment. In the context of a comprehensive study and acquaintance with the cultural stock, the sites of cultural interest of the Regional Unity of Heraklion were catalogued and four cultural routes have been proposed, highlighting the vast majority of the cultural interests of the region. The survey focuses on the wider county rather than the city of Heraklion, as the aim is to propose solutions for decentralization and dispersal of tourist activity outside the urban environment, which may be quite burdensome during the peak tourist season. Besides, this is also the purpose of cultural tourism, that is, its dispersion in time and place. 1. Description of the Research Area The Regional Unity of Heraklion belongs to the Region of Crete. It boasts the Cretan Sea in the north and the Libyan Sea in the south. It has 7 rivers inside its borders which are Almyros, Giofyros, Gazanos, Karteros, Aposelemis, Anapodaris and Geropotamos.The first 4 flow into the northern coasts of the Regional Unity of Heraklion, while Anapodaris and Geropotamos flow into the south. In the Regional Unity of Heraklion there are also some smaller islands near its north and south coast. The island of Zeus is in the north and Papadoplakas and Traphonisi are in the south. The area is mostly flat, containing several low hills and valleys in the countryside. It is separated in the middle, in two parts, where the most mountainous ones are in the north, while the south consists mainly of plains, with the largest one which is called Mesara. At the same time, it is situated between the two largest mountain ranges of Crete, Idi in the west and Dikti in the east, which extend to the Regional Units of Rethymno and Lassithi respectively. The largest production of agricultural goods in the region is located in the lowland areas around Heraklion, Mesara and Kastelli.Olive, olive oil, grapes, cereals, raisins, fruit and vegetables are produced. South of the county, in the main coastal areas, such as Arvi and Malia, bananas are produced. In addition, in the areas of Viannos and at the foot of the Dikti mountain range, there is a large production of dittany. Tourism is also a key factor in the economy of the county. Areas such as Gortyn, Knossos, Malia, Phaistos and Tylissos receive a very large number of tourists every year due to their archaeological interest. At the same time, the tourist accommodation, located in coastal areas, such as Amoudara and Kokkini Hani in Heraklion, Hersonissos, Gouves, Gournes, southern Matala, Stalis and Agia Pelagia is a tourist attraction especially during the summer season. The value of the geopolitical position of the Regional Unity of Heraklion is great and is directly related to the geopolitical position of the island of Crete. Crete was always considered as a crossroads of three continents and a valuable commercial and strategic point in the Eastern Mediterranean. Throughout the history of Crete, almost all of the most important administrative, financial and strategic centres of the island were located in the area of Heraklion, which shows the value of its position. As a result, it has brought together a significant number - 81 - JOURNAL "SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT, CULTURE, TRADITIONS".................Volume 1a/2019 of archaeological sites and monuments and is able to support the development of cultural tourism. The table 1 below shows air travel arrivals in recent years from 2013 to 2017 at the city of Heraklion. As it turns out, the number of arrivals tends to go up throughout the year, which proves implicitly that traffic to the site is not directly related to offshore summer tourism, but it tends to diffuse over time. Subsequently 8 cultural routes which emerged from the research and show almost the whole of the cultural reserve of the Prefecture of Heraklion are proposed .It should be noted that as regards the way the cultural routes were selected and designed, the geographic location of the archaeological sites of monuments and museums in the Prefecture was taken into account as well as the ease of travel from place to place. Table 1. Air travel arrivals in recent years from 2013 to 2017 at the city of Heraklion. Source: SETE Figure 1. Regional Unity of Heraklion Πηγή: (www.google.gr, 2018) 2. 1st Cultural Route The first cultural route that is proposed concerns the archaeological monuments located in the southwestern part of Heraklion Regional District (see. Figure 2). The total time estimated to be required to move and navigate the route is approximately 5 hours and 53 minutes, by car. Visitors should have been provided with information on the weather in the area because the majority of the monuments are outdoors. Most visits are preferred during the summer months, where the weather is good and it is easy to get around and browse. - 82 - JOURNAL "SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT, CULTURE, TRADITIONS".................Volume 1a/2019 The starting point of the route is the village of Vorizia as the road from this point is smoother. The distance from there to the Varsamonero Monastery (1st stop) is estimated at 2.3 km, and it takes 6 minutes for it to circulate. The visit to the monastery lasts 35 minutes. The Varsamonero Monastery is located between the villages of Vorizia and Zaros. It was built in the early years of the Venetian occupation, and in the Middle Ages it was an important religious and artistic center. Today, only the templeis preserved, which consists of two aisles. The first aisle to the north, according to historical sources, is the oldest and is dedicated to Theotokos Odigitria, while the second one to the south is dedicated to Ioannis Prodromos. These two aisles are connected with a cross-section, which is dedicated to Agios Fanourios. In the monastery there are remarkable frescoes and hagiographies that highlight the technique of the time. Continuing the way backwards, it ends up again in the village of Vorizia. Then by taking the Provincial Road of Agia Varvara at 4 km distance and in 8 minutes’ time there is the Vrondisi Monastery (2nd stop). There the visitor needs to stay for about 45 minutes. The Vrondisi Monastery was a chapel of the Varsamonero Monastery. According to historical sources its existence dates from 1400 AD, while it flourished particularly in the 16th century especially after the decline of the Varsamonero Monastery.