Filenews 26 September 2021 - by Evagoras Prokopiou
The fight against seasonality remains one of the main objectives of all those involved in the tourism industry. Apart from the sun and the sea, Cyprus has many other advantages. Hotels are full of summer months and the challenge for the country is to create the conditions to become a year-round tourist destination.
The "Sun and Sea" model served its goal for many years and tourism has been based on it since Cyprus was on the tourist map. All those involved recognize that this model has exhausted its potential and on this we can build in order to develop other forms of tourism. To shape and offer a complete product to the tourist, with elements of gastronomic tourism, religious tourism, sports, medical tourism, wellness tourism, wedding tourism and other alternative forms of tourism where at the end of the day it will enrich the tourist's experience and attract more groups of tourists.
The culture and cultural heritage of Cyprus are the most important legacy, as cultural tourism remains the most important form of alternative tourism and a very important criterion for the selection of Cyprus by foreign visitors. Within this framework, more thoroughly promoted special forms of tourism began to be promoted that contribute to the exploitation of untapped potential and the presentation of the human dimension of tourism in Cyprus and our cultural heritage. Certainly alternative tourism does not attract millions, but it enriches the tourist product by putting it in a seal of quality, attracting a special category of tourists that values, the historical and cultural heritage of the people and the place they visit. This cultural treasure will attract will place the foundations for tourism throughout the year.
As Cyprus, we have the infrastructure, the climate, the culture, there are marinas, airports, elements that we must highlight. At the same time, however, we also need to upgrade / improve other aspects that contribute to and affect the image of our tourism product. Within this framework, several economic operators and not only invest in the development of alternative forms of tourism, already participating in projects co-financed by state and European funds, with partners including the Deputy Ministry of Tourism, the Archdiocese, the Ministry of Culture of Greece, the Church of Greece and academic institutions in both countries.
RELIGIOUS TOURISM
The Deputy Ministry of Tourism sets high on its goals the development and promotion of Religious Tourism. This is a form of tourism that is always much less affected by adverse situations than any other tourism sector.
Religious tourism is the most growing sector of the tourism, travel industry. The World Tourism Organisation estimates that 300 million people tourists visit the world's major religious monuments every year (a quarter of all international tourist arrivals) and that 600 million people national and international religious tourism trips are held every year.
In Cyprus there are no corresponding statistics. This increase brings an unprecedented possibility of promoting the sustainable development of the cross-border area by allowing investment in protection projects and applications, increasing the carrying capacity, highlighting and promoting the cultural heritage of the intervention area. Such a project is carried out within the framework of the European territorial cooperation programme Interreg Greece – Cyprus. The main objective of the Project called Re-Cult is the promotion, promotion and joint promotion of religious cultural heritage through the development of coordinated and joint planning of actions and applications for the promotion and promotion of religious cultural heritage that will lead to the development of Religious Tourism in the cross-border region of Greece and Cyprus. Both areas are also bestowed with a beautiful natural landscape, and therefore the combination of nature with the high cultural and architectural value of temples and monasteries, but also the peculiarity of religious and cultural events, can offer huge potential for the development of alternative forms of tourism.
This program will produce developmental tools, such as the preparation of Studies for the recording and mapping of the Religious Monuments of the Intervention Areas, the elaboration of a Plan for the Development of Alternative Religious Cultural Tourism, beyond the summer season, while the training of tourism professionals and local bodies in the provision of services for the organization, implementation and support of trips - excursions and routes with Pilgrimage will be promoted, religious and cultural interest. A milestone in the framework of the project is the creation of 2 digitization laboratories in Greece and Cyprus as well as a Joint Observatory of Religious Tourism based in Cyprus. The aim is to guide those involved in the direction of creating an integrated tourism product through the promotion of the tangible and intangible religious cultural heritage of Greece and Cyprus, which will be addressed to Greek, Cypriot and foreign pilgrims, through religious - pilgrimage tours and cultural "travelogues", on the streets that have been carved out by religions, peoples and cultures during the long history of the island regions of intervention of Greece. and the whole of Cyprus.
The result of the project is expected to be the extension of the tourist season and the increase of traffic in the cross-border area. STEK will assist as an Agency - representative of tourism professionals in Cyprus and will be mainly involved in the development of professional skills.
The specific objectives of the project include:
- Recording and documentation of tangible and intangible elements of religious cultural heritage of the cross-border area, for digitization
- Digital cataloguing, accompanied by a tour application with maps and time-lines.It will offer the possibility of recording, searching and retrieval objects and monuments of religious heritage, as well as associating with them digital resources
- Design and development of a digital museum, digital library and mobile application (mobile app) of virtual tour
- Actions to inform, promote and promote digital repositories (including the supply and placement of info kiosks)
- Marking of selected points in the intervention areas
- Pilot development of Routes with certification
- Training of stakeholders
- Actions for the institutional strengthening of Religious Tourism
- Development of networking and cooperation between tourism agencies, bodies managing cultural and religious monuments.
- Development of common tools for the promotion of the religious cultural heritage of the region
The result of the efforts through this program was the submission of the file on the cultural/religious route named "In the footsteps of Apostle Paul, Apostle of the Nations" to the Council of Europe. The partners of this project are the Pafos ETAP, the Region of Central Macedonia, the Region of Lazio Italy and the ECTN (European Network of Cultural Tourism) and are now officially claiming certification and registration of this route in the European Routes (Cultural Routes of the Council of Europe).
The UNESCO tool
Apart from the archaeological sites of Pafos and Choirokoitia that are on the UNESCO World Heritage List, Cyprus also maintains eleven religious monuments in the Troodos region. The churches that maintain eleven places out of the 1031 of the list and are located in Cyprus are:
- Agios Nikolaos of Stegi southwest of Kakopetria village
- Church of Archangel Michael in the valley of Marathasa
- In the village of Lagoudera in the area of Pitsilia is the Virgin Mary of Araka
- The monastery of St. John the Lampadistis is located in the valley of Marathasa.
- The church of Stavros tou Agiasmati located in a deserted location in the northwest of the village Platanistasa of the province
- The small church of Panagia Asinou located near the village of Nikitari.
- Near the river Karkotis, in the village of Galata is the church of Panagia Podithos
- Church of Panagia Moutoulla built in 1280 by Ioannis Moutoullas-Gerakioti and his wife.
- Holy Cross in Pelendri
- Transfiguration of the Savior in Palaichori
THE EUROPEAN PATH E4
The trail, whose construction was completed in 2004, is part of the European Network of Long Trails. The initiative for the creation of the network was taken by the European Ramblers Association. The E4 starts from Gibraltar crosses Spain, France, Switzerland, Austria, Germany, Hungary, Romania, Bulgaria, mainland Greece, Peloponnese, Crete from where it expanded to Cyprus. Cyprus is connected to Crete by air.
The total length of the route in Cyprus exceeds 500 km and a large part follows existing trails, forest and rural roads.
It expands in Cyprus with the beginning or end of Larnaka airport, crossing the area of Larnaca – Famagusta up to the Park of Cape Greco and then following a different course crosses the Stavrovouni Forest, the Machairas Forest, the Troodos mountain range and the Akamas peninsula passing through areas of exceptional beauty and important sites with great ecological, historical, archaeological, cultural and scientific value and ends or begins at Paphos Airport.
In villages through which the path passes there are agro-tourism lodgings in which the walker can stay overnight as well as traditional taverns. It was constructed by the Department of Forests and funded by the Cyprus Tourism Organisation.
CYPRUS GASTRONOMY
There is also the Cyprus gastronomy agreement which is essentially an effort of the Deputy Ministry of Tourism in partnership with the private sector to cooperate for the promotion and exploitation of the capital "Cyprus Gastronomy" as an element of the intangible cultural product of Cyprus.
It aims at the formation of a new culture of gastronomic consciousness and the qualitative upgrading of the food sector and the services related to gastronomy provided, while it will act as a means of promoting the food culture of Cyprus and linking the agri-food sector with tourism and cultural heritage. It also aims at highlighting local quality products and businesses and exploiting the rich wine-gastronomic tradition of Cyprus with the aim of transforming Cyprus into a destination for gastronomic experiences.
The Pact aspires to become the link between the productive sectors of the Economy of Cyprus and at the same time the vehicle for the development of unique gastronomic experiences on the island. This initiative is implemented within the framework of the project "Package of Actions for the Promotion and Enrichment of the Tourism Product for the Lengthening of the Tourist Season". The decision-makers hope to be a main part of the puzzle for the formation of the final framework that will govern the alternative tourism product of Cyprus. The implementation of a grant plan for projects to upgrade the services offered in recreational straights is expected. It will also proceed to the creation of a thematic route of 300 km, which will reflect the authentic experience of the mountainous areas of the countryside and the border areas. It is expected to define a National Strategy for wine astronomy and cottage industry with rural areas.
CULTURAL EVENTS THAT ARE INTENSIBLE
It is also important in Cyprus to have international cultural events with participations of renowned artists from the music scene and actors. Some projects of recent years in this important cultural sector have a place in standards and attempt to put Cyprus in an important position on the world stage. One of them is the Pafos Opera Festival, which has hosted important productions successfully in recent years with renowned artists in the field. Unfortunately this year the pandemic has spoiled the planning.
There is also the International Festival of Ancient Drama since 1997. From 2014 to 2017, all performances of the "International Festival of Ancient Greek Drama" were included in the official program of events of the Organization "European Capital of Culture – Paphos 2017", while the 2018 event was part of the celebrations for the European Year of Cultural Heritage 2018.
Another strong card since 1993 is the International Festival "KYPRIA" aimed to present, both to Cypriots and visitors, a range of cultural events of the highest possible level. Starting in a period characterized by an almost complete lack of major cultural events, it acted as the catalyst for the creation of an unprecedented cultural movement that offers the public a plethora of choices. his program. During the last two decades, "KYPRIA" has hosted a number of distinguished artists and ensembles from the fields of Theatre, Music, Dance, Visual Arts and Cinema. As far as dance is concerned, the Festival has hosted, among others, the Rhine Ballet, the Cuban National Ballet, the Ground Group of Dimitris Papaioannou and the Batseva Dance Company. Theatrical performances by distinguished directors, with the participation of famous actors and theatrical groups from all over the world, had a prominent place in the Festival. Some of the most famous are the National Theatre of Greece, the Greek Art Theatre of Karolos Koun and the Amphitheater of Spyros Evangelatos. Moreover, one of the most recent highlights of the Festival was the excellent performance of John Malkovich in The Hellish Comedy: Confessions of a Serial Killer presented at KYPRIA 2011. The International Festival "KYPRIA" has also hosted a number of famous music groups of world renown, such as the English National Symphony Orchestra, the Madrigalisti di Venezia, the European Union Baroque Orchestra, the Salzburg Chamber Philharmonic Orchestra, the Mikis Theodorakis Folk Orchestra, the Greek Music State Orchestra under the direction of Dionysis Savvopoulos and the Academy of St. Martin orchestra in the Fields.
ASTROTOURISM IN CYPRUS
A new trend in tourist demand has been observed in recent years, by people's interest in monitoring and studying the sky, sun and stars. Travel motivated by the observation of stars and celestial phenomena, is constantly gaining and worldwide more and more followers. Astro-tourism combines astronomical knowledge with entertainment. When you choose to travel or combine your vacation or your free time to enjoy the starry night sky, using a telescope and/or with the naked eye, learning about the universe through star observation. Those involved in this sector in Cyprus see it as a new and promising tourism of special interest that can contribute to the increase of tourism throughout the year. Also, to contribute to the increase in the qualitative upgrading of our tourism product and to the creation of jobs, especially in new sectors related to astronomy by participating in the socio-economic development of Cyprus.
MUSEUM "TOURIST" PRODUCT
The museums of Cyprus are an integral part of the country's cultural tourism product, as they showcase the best parts of its history and culture, while supporting the local economies of rural communities. Below twelve of the most important museums located on the island
1) Cyprus Museum, Nicosia
2) Ethnological Museum (House of Hadjigeorgakis Kornesios), Nicosia
3) Local Archaeological Museum of Ancient Idalion
4) Local Ethnological Museum of Fikardos
5) Cyprus Railway Museum, Evrychou
6) Archaeological Museum of Larnaka District
7) Local Museum of Traditional Embroidery and Silversmithing, Lefkara
8) Archaeological Museum of Limassol district
9) Local Archaeological Museum of Kourion – Episkopi
10) Archaeological Museum of Pafos District
11) Local Archaeological Museum of Marion-Arsinoe, Polis Chrysochous
12) Museum of Folk Art, Geroskipou
