By Giannis Karousos, Mayor of Ayia Napa:
There is no doubt that the reform of local government is a necessity and a requirement of the local community. In the context of mergers, appropriate decisions should be taken to protect and enhance tourism.
In relation to Ayia Napa, it is important to take seriously the vision that the national tourism strategy of our country has set for it, aiming to become one of the three best tourist destinations in Europe by 2030.
Ayia Napa today is a global brand, worth billions as it offers 800 million annually to the GDP of Cyprus and hosts 30% of the country's overnight stays, with more than 30,000 tourist beds with an equivalent population, according to a study, 40,000, on average, on an annual basis, with a budget of 20 million and with a mode of operation which has achieved high levels of satisfaction from both visitors, citizens and businesses, highlights Ayia Napa as the metropolis of Cypriot tourism.
These particularities should be taken seriously in the merger scenarios by the Government and the Parliament. Solutions must be proposed through which Ayia Napa will be strengthened and not absorbed.
According to a study by the international independent auditing firm Ernst and Young (EY) if the challenges are not addressed then, the tourism product will be endangered. At the same time, investments will be affected, the brand will be downgraded, its annual contribution to GDP, with an impact on the goal and the vision set by the national tourism strategy
In the context of the mergers, the Municipality of Ayia Napa, after taking into account economic, tourist criteria and development prospects, in combination with studies and research decided to merge with the Municipality of Sotiras and the Community of Liopetri. In this way we will create the largest tourist municipality of Cyprus with a coastal front of 25 kilometers.
This combination significantly solves the various challenges and faces several of the peculiarities of Ayia Napa as it will not be absorbed by anyone, the brand will be maintained for the benefit of all and tourism will be enhanced. Thus, several operational and administrative challenges will be solved since the new Municipality will be able to operate immediately and effectively the next day.
At the same time, the benefits of tourism, the economic and operational advantages of Ayia Napa will be combined with the benefits of the hinterland, the common coastal front and the population of Sotira and Liopetri.
This scenario is confirmed by several studies and researches carried out by international organizations, auditing firms and research programs of the European Union. Also important are the results of the research of the European research program ESPON, which supports the formulation of territorial development policies in Europe, which confirms that Ayia Napa is one of the seven work centers of Cyprus and the work center of Sotira and Liopetriou.
Giannis Karousos, Mayor of Ayia Napa