"The indications we have are that we are going for a record year this year in terms of overnight stays and we hope to have the appropriate quality of tourists," said the mayor Giannis Karousos in the newspaper "Politis", who stated that the increase observed this year is significant. from the English, Russian, Israeli and Swiss markets, while the traffic from the Scandinavian market is expected to be slightly increased. There is also an increase in the markets of the Arab countries, while the only market that does not show an increase is the German one.
Despite the significant increase that is expected to be observed (around 50% of the Russian market), Mr. Karousos points out an important aspect of the issue. "We must not forget that the mass influx of foreign tourists this summer in our region is mainly due to the recent conjunctures in the eastern Mediterranean. We did not solve the problems of our tourism industry because this year we will have many tourists. The problems are there. "Just this year is our great opportunity to satisfy this world that will come, so that we can keep it for the years to come," he noted.
Reference points
The Municipality of Ag. Napas implements this year the strategy of the Integrated Tourist Experience, with the aim of each visitor returning to his country to take with him experiences and memories from Ag. Napa. "We want every visitor to get a little… from Ag. Napa when he returns home. That is why we have created a plan, with which we provide other options to our visitors, besides the sun and the sea. We have upgraded the port, we have created the sculpture park with over 80 sculptures, there is the cactus garden nearby, while for diving lovers we have created a separate technical reef in the sea area of Pernera, with the sinking of the ship "Kyrenia". At the same point, there are at a depth of 6-7 meters from the sea and various sculptural constructions. Also, on the walls of the tourist resort, well-known artists have created impressive graffiti, the so-called "street art", which can be visited by every foreigner and local ".
Regarding the beaches of Ag. Napas, which this year are expected to welcome tens of thousands of visitors, their upgrade and landscaping continues at a rapid pace. It should be noted that Ag. Napa currently has two of the 25 best beaches in Europe (based on the relevant list), the beach of Makronisos and the beach of Konnos. "The redesign of our beaches is continuous. This year we will provide free wi fi on all beaches, while we will also create insurance boxes for those visitors who wish to use them. At the same time, the planning for the creation of themed beaches has started, which we estimate will be operational from the summer of 2017. The architectural plans are already ready. At the same time, we will create beaches for beach volley, beaches with playgrounds, beaches for young people, beaches for families, etc. ", said Mr. Karousos.
Financial
The deficit of the Municipality of Ag. Napa in 2011 was about one million euros. According to Mr. Karousos, in 2015 the municipality showed a surplus of 2,6 million. As he said, a tidy plan of the municipality is being implemented, with the cooperation of all those involved, even the citizens. "This is a tidiness that we have been implementing since 2013, while we must say that the undertaking of the management of the beaches by the municipality has also brought significant amounts to our budgets. At the same time, we apply open procedures to all offers. "Today, the Municipality of Ayia Napa is, perhaps, the first municipality in Cyprus that has a reduction, to 26%, of the tax on the first residence", he said.
Reform of municipalities
Regarding the much-discussed issue of municipal reform, in Ayia Napa they feel strong the injustice that is being done to the detriment of the tourist resort. Giannis Karousos expressed the view that the way in which the reform is going to be done, especially with the training of the provincial councils, is of particular concern to the Municipality of Ayia Napa, because, as he explained, the representation will be proportional to the population. Mr. Karousos was particularly strong on this issue. He said specifically. "This is going to be a disaster for Ayia Napa. While as a municipality we contribute 35% -40% of the council budget, we can not have a representative in the provincial council. It is inconceivable that others, who may be unrelated to tourism issues, decide for us. Our tourism is in danger. We believe that the budget of each municipality should be taken into account. We ask to have a say in the decisions and we have already sent letters, asking that our request be taken seriously ", noted the Mayor Ag. Go.
G. Karousos considers that the peculiarities of Ayia Napa in its budget and in its tourism industry should be taken into account. As he explained, the permanent residents may range between 3-4 thousand, however the active population of Ag. Napas amounts to 40 thousand. "Currently, the Municipality of Ag. Napa is the seventh largest municipality in Cyprus in terms of revenue, with a difference of eighth. We have revenues of 15 million. In fact, with the development that is coming, especially with the construction of the marina, we believe that in the coming years we will be among the four largest municipalities in Cyprus. So, we deserve, we believe, to have a say in the decisions ", he concluded.
Source: CITIZEN