Innovative hotelier Yiannis Sbokos dies, aged 75
A pioneer of Crete’s tourism, Yiannis Sbokos, died in a hospital in Iraklio on Monday night, following a long illness. He was 75.
Sbokos founded the Sbokos Hotel Group in 1976 which was renamed Phāea Resorts in 2019. He built some of the most important hotels in Crete that were considered pioneering for their time, and are still seen as among the most emblematic of the island.
He was also a founding member of the Greek Tourism Confederation (SETE), a member of the Panhellenic Hotel Association, and participated in Minoan Lines, Hellenic Seaways, Forthnet and Air Greece. He had also served as municipal councilor of Iraklio and president of the city’s Municipal Company of Water and Sewerage.
He was married to Eleni Kaparounaki and had two daughters, Agapi, wife of Kostantinos Zompanakis, and Costantza, wife of Achilleas Constantakopoulos, who continue the business.
“He envisioned a tourism centered on respect for the environment, society and people, creating one of the most important hotel companies in Crete,” his family said in a statement on Tuesday.
“The late Yiannis Sbokos was one of the most important Cretan hoteliers with a great contribution to the development of quality Cretan tourism. He served the industry with dedication and consistency for decades…He will be remembered with gratitude and love,” the Hotel Association of Iraklio said.
The funeral service will be held on July 4, at noon, at the Church of Agios Minas, in Iraklio. Instead of wreaths, the family wishes to support the work of the General Hospital of Iraklio and the General Hospital of Agios Nikolaos.
