The four museums that have been created in recent years in the communities of Akamas, have been operating since their first period of operation as an enriching factor for the promotion of the area and the attraction of visitors to the villages of the peninsula. This is demonstrated both by the official traffic figures of these museums in 2025 and the first half of 2026, as well as by their award at the last Conference of the European Cultural Tourism Network, held in Romania.
Award-winning museums are the Akamas Museum of Rural Life in Drousia, the Regional Bird and Flora Information Centre in Kathikas, the Geology and Palaeontology Information Centre in Arodes and the Turtle Museum in Ineia.
The four museums of the peninsula won the first prize, standing out among 54 entries from 15 countries, on the theme of visitor experiences and authenticity for sustainable, smart and resilient cultural tourism destinations. The jury praised the proposal for excellence in the revitalization of museums in the Laona region, highlighting practices of participatory, authentic, and sustainable cultural tourism. The successful model applied to the operation of the four museums and which is now recognized as a European good practice of cultural revitalization received a high rating.
The main elements that contributed to the award, according to the committee's reasoning, were the integration of museums and their cultural resources into a single regional experience, the common promotional identity and the experiential experiences offered to visitors. Actions include guided tours, workshops, and educational exchanges, which are enhanced by digital tools and supported by improved accessibility through organized tours.
And at the level of everyday life, however, the four sites have contributed the most to the traffic in the villages, according to community authorities, given that in addition to organized tourist tours, more and more Cypriot excursionists are going to them, while they have already joined the program of educational visits from schools.
