The development of Crete is very impressive during the last decades. Crete has the smaller percentage of unemployment in the peripheries of Greece, whereas its' economy is better than the average of Greece.
The most important sections of economy are the tourism and the agriculture. The bigger section of the economy is based on the international, organised, mass tourism. Crete combines many characteristics which attract tourists from the whole world; the temperate climate, the natural beauty, the biodiversity in flaura and fauna, the excellent landscape, the hospitability of Cretans and its famous historical past. Fifteen percent of all arrivals in Greece come through the city of Heraklion (port and airport). More than two million tourists visited Crete last year. Moreover, the charter flights to Heraklion were last year 20% of the total of charter flights in Greece.
Regarding the rural section, the economy is based on the olive production, the vineyard production (wine and raisins) and the fresh fruits production (grapes, citrus, water lemons). The garden stuff (tomatoes, potatoes) that is produced in the island mainly feeds the population of Athens and some parts of Europe.
The third section of the economy of Crete is restricted in the alteration and the treatment of the local products (oil-presses, cheese-packing and fruit-packing buildings).
Finally, the research-scientific action in the island is very important, since there are schools of University in every district of the island.