Ayia Napa is today the flagship of Cypriot tourism, and hosts more than 5 million tourist overnight stays in Cyprus, is a global brand, and contributes more than 800 million to the Cypriot economy on an annual basis with global and international awards and recognitions with last to be an award of Ayia Napa from the tourist awards of Greece but also the first place it won in the tourist awards of Cyprus for the rebranding effort that is being implemented, under the slogan "Always Ayia Napa".
But our vision does not stop here. Our goal is ambitious and we can achieve it: To transform Ayia Napa by 2030 as the best and most cosmopolitan tourist resort in the Mediterranean. A resort, which its visitors will enjoy, businesses will prosper and its citizens will be proud of
To achieve this we use the complete tourist experience, whose goal is for our visitors to receive unique experiences and memories, so that when they return home they take a little Ayia Napa with them.
This is how we turn Ayia Napa into a city of parks, monuments and landmarks. The conditions were not easy, as there were no plans and mature projects. At the same time, the necessary funding was lacking, as well as the support of the decision-making centers.
We did not put it down. We designed, matured, claimed and won important infrastructure projects as well as important policy decisions. Today we implement, design and mature projects with total budgets exceeding 55cm.
A significant number of works are under construction, such as the conversion of our monastery into an archeological museum and the renovation of the coastal front.
Also just the day before yesterday we signed and the implementation of another grand reference point begins. This underwater museum, the first of its kind in the Mediterranean, which will be created on the technical reef of Ayia Napa.
The underwater museum was a goal that we started exploring in 2013, with the aim of improving our artificial reef, improving its biodiversity, but also to create a unique underwater reference point that will attract diving tourism. At the same time it will be of such a scope, where its projection will be on a global basis, as it is created by the world-famous British artist Jason DeCaires Taylor. This is the first underwater art museum in the Mediterranean!
We estimate that this park will attract more than 50,000 tourists annually, and even all year round, since it is known that diving and sea temperatures allow it.
Let us consider the benefits that will be particularly present in the promotion of this park, as well as the environmental benefits from the improvement of biodiversity but also from the improvement of the environmental awareness for the environment in our seas. Ayia Napa with this project will dynamically enter the map of world diving tourism.
In the coming months we will announce a number of important projects. the outdoor amphitheater, the largest in Cyprus, with a budget of 3.6cm, the multi-functional theme park which will include the mosaic park, botanical garden and a large and interesting playground! But the time has come for the coveted redevelopment of the center and the north side of Ayia Napa. These days the meters are completing their work to announce bids for the upgrade of the center with a budget of 7cm.
Our goal and our initiatives are some of our arguments and reasons for our reaction to the issue of mergers of Municipalities as Ayia Napa instead of being treated as a city with an active population of 70,000 and as a Municipality with the 5th highest budget in Cyprus, is treated as a small municipality of 5,000 inhabitants. These perceptions must finally change. We do not experiment with municipalities of national importance such as Ayia Napa because possible wrong decisions will negatively affect the entire economy of Cyprus.
Giannis Karousos, Mayor of Ayia Napa