Filenews 9 April 2023 - by Adamos Adamou
In the last few years, the Deputy Ministry of Tourism may have given a significant boost to mountain resorts, to the countryside in general, but there still seems to be enough left for the effective inclusion of mountain resorts in the Cypriot tourist map.
For the time being, visits to the Troodos region are limited to one-day excursions, since, as mentioned in the recent meeting of the Deputy Minister of Tourism Costas Koumis with the leadership of the Troodos Tourism Development and Promotion Company (ETAP), overnight stays record a decrease. Specifically, in the Troodos region, as mentioned in the relevant memorandum of the Troodos Tourism Board to the Deputy Minister of Tourism, overnight stays of foreign visitors are limited to 2% of all foreign tourists.
And this, while the bed capacity of mountainous areas exceeds 2,000, in about 101 units located in all mountainous areas of free Cyprus, based on 2021 data.
However, the tourism industry of the Troodos region states that it faces serious problems of survival, as shown both by the numbers of overnight stays in the area and by the extremely reduced number of offices of special forms of tourism that use the Troodos region as a base for excursions to the wider region.
The president of ETAP Troodos, Nikos Mattheou, also explains that the attendance of Cypriots during August, but also on weekends, does not solve the problem, since most days of the week occupancy is very low, resulting in a problem for the survival of businesses. He argues that low occupancy also brings serious problems in terms of staff employment, as well as in the provision of quality services.
Connection to airports and cities
The memorandum of the Troodos Tourism Board includes a series of suggestions in order to put an end, as mentioned, to the downward course of the region. Key, as evidenced by ETAP's requests, is the connectivity of the Troodos region with the main cities, but also with the main entry points of tourists to the island, i.e. with the airports.
In this context, it is proposed to connect the Troodos region with the airports (Paphos-Larnaka) and urban centers, with frequent bus routes, which serve tourists with intermediate stops in tourist communities of Troodos. This proposal, says the Troodos ETAP, can be implemented through a study by the Deputy Ministry of Tourism and the Ministry of Transport, in cooperation with the bus contractors and with the ultimate goal of facilitating accessibility to the area.
In support of its request, ETAP explains that, today, in essence, the area can be visited either by rental car or through an organized excursion and there is no other way, since the use of taxis is prohibitive due to cost. In the same context, ETAP asks the Deputy Ministry of Tourism for a subsidy for the purchase of a minibus, which will belong to it, to transport passengers from airports that will use accommodation in the Troodos region at a low price. The same bus will also be used for day trips to the Troodos region. On the issue, the company records that the above was an initiative, but also a suggestion, of former deputy minister Savvas Perdios. It also stresses the need for cooperation between all actors involved in rural tourism, under the guidance of the Deputy Ministry of Tourism, by creating a single Action Plan to avoid joint actions and maximize results through an annual evaluation.
Incentives are also needed
Enhancing connectivity with Troodos alone is not enough, according to ETAP, which also proposes the elaboration of an incentive plan to increase overnight stays in the area. Specifically, they propose the creation of a plan similar to the one that exists to enhance sports tourism, such as, for example, tourist agencies that use accommodation in the Troodos region, agrotourism accommodation and hotels for accommodation to be subsidized with specific percentages. They also clarify that they ask for incentives and subsidies to apply all year round and not only in the period between November and March when the sports tourism plan is in force.
However, there were also subsidy plans for mountain development last year. According to the annual report of the Deputy Ministry of Tourism, last year visits were made to dozens of communities, during which information was provided about these plans. In particular, emphasis was placed on the two new plans announced in 2022, for the revival of rural areas, mountainous and remote areas through the Creation of Authentic Experiences for the Enrichment and Upgrading of the Tourist Product and the Plan for the Upgrading of Traditional Catering Areas or Sale of Traditional Food Products with the possibility of their inclusion in the "Taste Cyprus" Pact concerning the upgrading of traditional taverns and places selling traditional products.
The two Schemes will remain open until 2026. Also, with a view to providing quality entertainment opportunities to Cypriot and foreign visitors, the "Subsidy Scheme for visitable handicraft and wine gastronomy workshops" continued for 2022, under the De Minimis Regulations.
990 free workshops and guided tours in mountainous, remote and rural areas, including Christmas Villages, were organized and subsidized in 2022 in Deryneia, Polis Chrysochous, Fikardou, Agros, Kyperounda, Kalopanayiotis and Kalavasos. Besides, the enrichment and promotion of the work of the Authentic Heartland of Legends Route continued last year. This route passes through mountainous and border areas and offers experiential experiences to the visitors of Cyprus, which bring them close to the Cypriot nature, tradition and way of life of the Cypriots.
The €4.7 million plan will be implemented by the Commission. for renovations and upgrades in the mountains
In order to strengthen mountainous areas, within the framework of the National Recovery and Resilience Plan, the Plan for the Upgrading of Tourist Accommodation / Hotels in Rural, Mountain and Border Areas will be implemented, to modernize & improve the competitiveness of the tourism product.
The projected budget of the Plan amounts to €9.7 million. approximately, until 2026. The first call for tenders for the project was only made in February and €4.7 million will be allocated to the project. The aim of the Plan is to support investments in hotel and tourist accommodation businesses in mountainous, rural and remote areas, for: (a) enriching, modernizing and upgrading the quality of their products and services, (b) creating new products and services, which concern alternative forms of tourism and serving specialized seasonal needs and particularities, (c) modernising services through digital upgrading.
As mentioned, the total amount that will be allocated for the needs of the first call amounts to €4,700,000. Interested parties can obtain the final Guide of the Project, which includes all the details, including the Application Form, on the website of the Deputy Ministry of Tourism www.tourism.gov.cy.
Applications will be accepted until December 1, 2023 at 12.00pm. or until the available budget is exhausted, while the order of priority will be determined based on the order of submission of proposals (immediate evaluation) and the maximum amount of approvals will not exceed the available budget of the Call.
Beneficiaries are natural and legal persons who are entrepreneurs of a hotel or tourist accommodation. Eligible costs for grants and sponsorships include, inter alia, investments aimed at the digital upgrading of hotels and tourist accommodation establishments in order to achieve an improvement of the tourist experience.
Also, investments for renovation / upgrade / enrichment / landscaping / replacement of equipment and energy upgrade of existing interior and exterior spaces in hotels or tourist accommodation under investment such as common areas (reception area, lounge, dining areas, bars, communal toilets, etc.) of the unit, accommodation areas (rooms / apartments, private bathrooms of rooms / apartments, kitchens of apartments, verandas of rooms / Apartments, gardens and green areas, sports area, playground area, outdoor and/or indoor swimming pool and parking.
Eligible costs are also investments in converting tourist accommodation into
