A conference on "Aiming at Sustainable Tourism" was held in Protaras.
The meeting was co-organized by the Office of the European Parliament in Cyprus, the Cyprus Tourism Organization and the Open University of Cyprus, is under the auspices of the Minister of Tourism and was held with the support of the Municipalities of Ayia Napa, Paralimni, Deryneia and Sotirou. and the Association of Environmental Scientists and Engineers of Cyprus.
Υπ. Tourism: We aim to improve the international competitiveness of Cyprus
The goal of the Government is through coordination and targeting of actions by the public and private sector, to improve the international competitiveness of Cyprus as a tourist destination, said today the Minister of Energy, Trade, Industry and Tourism George Lakkotrypis in his greeting at a conference entitled "Aiming at Sustainable Tourism" held in Protaras.
In his greeting, Mr. Lakkotrypis stated that "in recent years it has become clear that tourism is a central pillar of development of the Cypriot economy, with a significant contribution to the Gross Domestic Product of the country, investments and the current account balance. The impact of the sector on employment is also remarkable, given that many professions are directly, but also indirectly, affected by its development, as it mobilizes a large number of production units that are active to meet the demand that is created ".
He added that "the official data of the Labor Force Survey for 2015 show that the Activities of Accommodation Services and Catering Services employed on average more than 29.000 people, a number that corresponded to about 8% of the total employment for the year".
The goal of the Government, he continued, “is through the coordination and targeting of actions by the public and the private sector, to improve the international competitiveness of our country as a tourist destination. The Municipalities, the professional and business associations and the local communities in general, are our important collaborators and pillars of this effort ".
It is necessary, he noted, "to adopt as a country a holistic approach, which, of course, includes our actions to draw up a long-term national strategy for tourism and the creation of a new competent State Department."
Referring to this year as an example, the Minister said that "for the first time in the history of Cypriot tourism we will break the barrier of 3 million visitors, it is necessary to constantly consider any implications and problems and, collectively with tourism operators, to find optimal solutions ”.
In this way, he pointed out, “we can repeat the high performance of the last three years, while at the same time we will be able to preserve as the apple of our eye the comparative advantages of the tourist Cyprus, which are none other than the rich cultural heritage, the beautiful and clean seas, excellent natural environment and quality tourist infrastructure ".
Andreas Kettis: "Tourism is the locomotive of the Cypriot economy"
In his greeting, Andreas Kettis, Head of the European Parliament Office in Cyprus, stated that "the organization of today's meeting is one of the top actions of the Office of the European Parliament this year, taking into account the fact that tourism is the undisputed locomotive of economy. The organization of such workshops provides the opportunity to inform and raise awareness of those directly concerned and not only, on an issue that touches on such an important policy for the place, with very important economic, social, environmental and cultural dimensions.
He added that "our ambition was for this day to be the platform of a political-academic dialogue from which stakeholders can draw useful conclusions and best practices, in order to further upgrade their product. The benefits that can certainly arise are not limited only to the individuals directly involved, but include the relevant bodies and organizations while extending indirectly to the citizens of Cyprus and to European tourists in general and beyond ".
Mr. Kettis also stated that "the policies of the European Union and the decisions taken within the European Parliament on this issue should become a beacon of our action and goals, if we want Cyprus to become one of the best tourist destinations. in the near future, always with respect and promotion of its rich tradition ".
Ch. Christodoulidis: "Need to maintain sustainable development"
On behalf of the Chairman of the Governing Committee of the Open University of Cyprus, Professor Costas Christou, Christoforos Christodoulidis, Director of Administration and Finance of the University addressed a greeting, stating that "tourism and its various activities play an important role in are directly related to the natural, man-made and socio-cultural stock of the local community. The need to maintain the sustainable development of these resources requires a holistic study and approach at local, regional, national and international levels.
In Cyprus, he continued, "tourism holds a prominent position in the economic development of the island, while exerting significant pressures on natural resources and the environment. Local and regional communities should take into account the economic, social, cultural and environmental consequences of tourism development, which should be based on the criteria of sustainability, ie be economically viable, but morally and socially acceptable. The State and local authorities should promote actions for the integrated planning of tourism based on the principles of sustainability ".
He added that "as residents of a host society it is up to us to choose the right form of tourism that respects people and the environment and to achieve this, we must directly link environmental education and sustainable tourism."
Continuing education and training on these issues will contribute to the cultivation of a sustainable tourism awareness in civil society, he said, noting that the Open University of Cyprus is reaching out to local authorities and the European Parliament "to jointly develop education and training programs for sustainable development, thus strengthening part of the European Union's goals for the future ".
C. Director of CTO: "Sustainable tourism is a priority"
In her greeting, Annita Demitriadou, Deputy General Manager of the Cyprus Tourism Organization, said that "for a mature tourist destination like Cyprus, in a highly competitive environment, the principle of sustainability must govern all actions and policies we take into account that it has a direct impact on the viability of Cyprus as a tourist destination ".
He added that "sustainable tourism does not mean without the design and implementation of policy for the environmentally and socially sensitive rural area. Rural Tourism is a priority for the Tourism Strategy ", noting that" we have the right to be proud of what we have achieved both in terms of creating opportunities for accommodation but also to offer a complete experience through activities in many villages ".
At the same time, he continued, "the CTO has already established and incorporated minimum standards of sustainability in the quality criteria applied in the hotel industry. The objectives of this action are, among other things, the improvement of the quality of the tourism product, as well as the integration of sustainability in the business planning of these companies with the corresponding benefits in energy savings, minimization of the environmental impact, support of the local economy and society ".
President of the Association of Municipalities: "Consequences of mass tourism"
In his greeting, the President of the Union of Municipalities of Cyprus Alexis Galanos stated that “in small geographically Cyprus with limited environmental resilience, the special conditions that give rise to its unsolved political problem and the well-known dependence of its economy on tourism, sustainable development of this economic lung should definitely remain the demand both at the level of government and at the level of local government and representatives of the tourism industry ".
He added that "the form of mass tourism that is still the largest part of tourism in Cyprus inevitably has consequences and effects on the reserves of natural resources of the island. And if we take into account that in the northern occupied part of Cyprus the situation with tourism is essentially uncontrollable, then we should definitely worry primarily about the environmental future of our place and consequently the future of our tourism product.
The Municipalities and Communities, he continued, can educate, enlighten or even discuss "with the Cypriot tourism actors the possibilities that exist, while as Municipalities we must intensify our efforts and highlight the diversity and comparative advantages of the Cypriot tourism internationally. our product, whether it is the seas of free Famagusta or the traditional products of other areas ".
Mr. Galanos also stated that "in Cyprus, due to the small size but also the great potential in the tourism sector, we can achieve the maximum economic result without destroying the environment and natural resources, depriving the next generations of the opportunity to support them and to be active in the tourism sector ".
Participation by the MEP, N. Androulakis
Among other things, MEP Nikos Androulakis participated in the meeting, referring to the prospects of Mediterranean Tourism in the European Environment, saying that "Greece and Cyprus are small countries with few wealth-producing resources.
We have neither the heavy industry nor the population density that a deep market can sustain. "For countries like ours, tourism is our 'heavy industry'."
He then stressed the perspective of the two countries, noting that: "they have all the potential to become countries - models of tourism development, since we have at our disposal all the necessary resources. The only thing we need is to work systematically, with organization and planning to achieve our goals ".
He added that, "for Greece, tourism is a pole of development. In 2015, despite political instability and the catastrophic imposition of restrictions on capital movements, tourism accounted for 18,5% of GDP, employed 821.290 people, generated revenue of € 13,6 billion, an average per capita expenditure of € 580, and our share in the world market amounted to 2% ".
He also said that "political instability and the threat of terrorism in a number of direct competitors such as Egypt, Turkey and Algeria, direct part of the tourist traffic to the 'safe' destinations in the region. "Inevitably, Greece and Cyprus have benefited from this geopolitical development." The aim, he stressed, "is to keep a part of this tourist traffic and give it more permanent characteristics".
Finally, Mr. Androulakis noted that: "in addition to strengthening specific categories of tourism product, a series of horizontal actions are required to ensure the effort regardless of the type of tourism we want to attract, such as infrastructure upgrades, interconnection primary agricultural sector with the tourism product, the conclusion of a social cooperation agreement for the tourist season, to give the message of a safe destination and the fight against micro-crime and anti-social behavior and the extension of the practice of issuing entry visas by tourist offices ".
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