Filenews 28 August 2022 - by Angelos Nicolaou
The area of Akamas attracts thousands of visitors every year, both from Cyprus and from abroad, and supports great economic activity in different sectors. Nevertheless, today there are unsustainable conditions environmentally, socially and economically in the area, resulting in the degradation of its environmental and cultural value and at the same time the minimal participation of the local community in the benefits that arise, or may arise, from the sustainable management of the protected area. At the moment, procedures and projects are underway for the management infrastructure nodes and the improvement of the road network.
The Akamas National Forest Park (SAR) attracts one million visitors every year from Cyprus and abroad. The estimate of the potential value, on a financial level, of the Akamas SAR in terms of the value of the services offered, as shown by the behaviour and expenses of the visitors, is more than €30 million per year.
However, local communities, in and around the Akamas SAR, receive a negligible proportion of economic benefits from tourism activities taking place within or linked to the SAR. In addition, the expenditure of local tourism enterprises (accommodation and restaurants) on food, escapes through their purchases in external sources.
The proposed activities - facilities in the SAR of Akamas were configured / placed in a total of 14 areas - nodes of mild infrastructure for the management and service of visitors, and other point areas of light facilities for visitors, while at the same time it is proposed to connect them through a specific road network which is upgraded per section in specific ways (total within SAR 58 km), and its use by specific types of means of transport is allowed (Vehicles of the Park, private vehicles, common/ mixed use, bicycles, pedestrians), while areas of increased supervision by the Park Guard are also proposed. Furthermore, routes are proposed to connect the Entrance Areas of the SAR with the cores of the adjacent Communities through small rural buses and cycling routes, thus enhancing the connectivity of the Park with these Communities. Visitors, after being led to the Entrances, will be able to either visit the Park on foot, or rent a bicycle, or board special 4x4 vehicles transporting visitors to the Park, which will have specific routes and visiting points within the Park.
The Plan for the Sustainable Development of the Akamas National Forest Park (SAR) was approved five years ago (1/11/2018), while the main provisions of the Plan were approved by the Council of Ministers on 18/2/2020.
Seven main entrances
1) White River, 2) Lara/Innia, 3) Smigies, 4) Baths of Aphrodite 5) Kathikas Street (Mountiko), 6) Arodon Road (Lipatis) and 7) Drousias Road (Tzifi).
14 infrastructure hubs
(1) Aspros Potamos (2) Mountiko (3) Lipatis (4) Avakas (5) Skali Toxeftras (6) Lara (7) North Bay of Lara (8) South Bay of Lara (9) Geronisos (10) Gioni (11) Tzifi (12) Smigies (13) Loutra (14) Fontana. Depending on the area, it is suggested: entrance control kiosk, small cafeteria suitably invested / adapted to the area accompanied by a shading area, specially designed car parking area, small area for the sale of souvenirs and selected local products, toilets, mountain bike rental area, city bus boarding / disembarkation area and 4x4 vehicle for transporting visitors to the Park, an area for the creation of an environmental education park and awareness raising centre(s), information centre(s), point of view, covered waiting area for buses or park vehicles with benches, Area for the promotion and/or hatching of sea turtles, path to the beach, picnic area, mooring point(s).
Entrance Fees
The entrance fees, which can be called "Retention Fees" and have not yet been finalized, are proposed to apply to all recreational visitors of the Park, i.e. tourists, hunters, fishermen, both by land and sea. Special arrangements are proposed to be applied to landowners and permanent residents of the area, and the pricing policy is proposed to be used to gradually encourage or even discourage uses.
4x4 transport vehicles and mountain bikes
A service for the transport of visitors to the Park will be available in two areas (Aspros Potamos up to the Area of Lara, connecting on the way all the entrances between them, and Baths of Aphrodite up to Fontana Amorosa). For the purposes of providing this service, the service provided by the existing activities of the safari companies operating in the area can be utilized, ensuring their upgrade and regulation in specific contexts based on the park's operating regulations. Bicycle rental facilities will be available and should be encouraged at all entrances.
