Filenews 21 November 2021 - by Adamos Adamou
It was exactly a year ago, that the Deputy Minister of Tourism developed in an interview with "F" the goal of linking the various professions, but also the residents in the mountains, with the heavy industry of the country. He had made particular reference to the need to lift restrictions on the sale of local products prepared in the countryside and in the courtyards of houses, which today is considered illegal, but also to the possibility of overnight stays on farms and wineries.
"It is not possible in this country to have so many animal farms, so many wineries and for the visitor not to be able to stay overnight in them. While abroad, you go to Austria and you can sleep on the farm, milk, collect your eggs in the morning and have breakfast. You can, for example, in Italy and France go to a winery to live the authentic vintage experience and then stay overnight there," he told Phileleftheros Economics in November 2020.
The emphasis that is now placed on the countryside and the mountains, in the context of the National Tourism Strategy, is, however, evident through the various sponsorship plans of the Deputy Ministry, as well as the various products it began to launch, such as the route of authentic experiences in the hinterland or the Heartland of Legends route. However, the framework that is estimated to give a real boost not only to the tourist experience of visitors, but also to the mountains is expected shortly. This is the legislative framework that will legitimize, so to speak, the cottage industry and the overnight stays in wineries, farms and other accommodations.
Savvas Perdios explained last Tuesday to the Parliament that work in this direction continues, clarifying, however, that the legislation will be promoted the first for the cottage industry by the Ministry of Energy and the second for the "multifunctional farm that can be visited" by the Ministry of Agriculture.
Our information confirms that the relevant process is in full swing and that the whole issue is being closely monitored not only by the Deputy Ministry of Tourism, but also by the Office of the Commissioner for the Development of Mountain Communities and by the Commissioner himself, Kostas Champiaouris personally. Moreover, both actions that are expected to take shape soon are also part of the National Strategy for the development of mountain communities (ESAOK).
Cottage industry in consultation
The bill on the cottage industry may be the one that will first be put to public consultation, since, according to information provided by "F", the draft of the proposal is currently being drafted by legal advisors leased by the Ministry of Energy, Trade and Industry. Once the final draft for the recognition of the cottage industry has been prepared, it will then be subject to public consultation. This, as has been duly mentioned to us, is expected to happen very soon.
The bill will then be put for legislative processing and control by the Legal Service in order to be formally submitted before parliament. The aim of the bill is to institutionalize the operation of very small businesses that operate mainly from home and produce or trade mainly local products. With the recognition of the cottage industry, these enterprises will be legal, will be able to legally sell their products in compliance with health rules and will be able to receive state aid/sponsorships.
The recognition of the cottage industry is estimated to give significant support and impetus to the mountainous areas and the countryside in general, but also to enrich the tourist product by giving impetus to agrotourism and local communities.
It is noted that ESAOK highlights the need to recognize the cottage industry, since it records, based on estimates of the Department of Agriculture, that today, in most cases, the possibility of marketing local products from local cottage industries faces various obstacles, mainly due to various tax conditions, with the sale of these products being prevented. Failure to address these obstacles in a timely manner, according to ESAOK, may have a negative impact on the local economy, with producers unable to benefit from the sale and marketing of their products.
ESAOK records the positive attitude of the creation of a legislative framework between many bodies, but also how the Department of Agriculture also views positively the operation of cottage industries producing a limited quantity of wine and zivania. As he also mentions, the strategy for the development of mountains, the promotion of the added value of products, the diversification of agricultural production and the enrichment of the peculiar tourist product of Troodos, requires the recognition of cottage industry. In addition, the promotion of cottage industry can help to increase the income of small farms. According to ESAOK, the scientific team and the Departments of Agriculture, Medical and Public Health Services and the Industry and Technology Service have already discussed extensively the issue of the recognition of the cottage industry and accepted the need for the existence of this form of business.
Finally, it is mentioned that through the institutional recognition of forms of entrepreneurship such as the cottage industry, the productive potential will be able to overcome the weak points of the sector (lack of organization, adoption of quality systems) and to exploit opportunities that remain unexploited (reputation of products, emergence of quality markets, focused financing, operation of development companies).
The farms that can be visited are coming
A big boost to agrotourism, which will significantly enhance the experiential trade of the visitors of the island, is expected to be offered by the legislative framework that is also under preparation for the recognition of the "multifunctional – visited farm".
It is in fact the bill that will pave the way not only for visits, but now also for accommodation and overnight stay of visitors and tourists in various farms, wineries, etc. The bill has been commissioned to promote the Ministry of Agriculture, which according to our information, has in turn contacted a legal advisor to prepare the draft law. As we have been told, the legislation will be ready in the first quarter of 2022. It is estimated that in turn this bill will be subject to public consultation, since the right to maintain hostels and other infrastructure for guest accommodation is not excluded to provoke reactions from other tourism agencies.
However, other bodies and independent officials, such as the Commissioner for the Development of Mountain Communities, are also involved in the preparation of the bill. ESAOK mentions on the issue that the recognition of a multifunctional – visiting farms is expected to enhance the agricultural activity of mountain communities, lead to the promotion of alternative forms of agricultural activity in them and support the creation of value chains. In addition, through this recognition, it is expected that new jobs will be created, increasing the employment and employment rates of the residents of the mountain communities and thus contributing to the positive influence of the local community and economy.
