Tourism has always been the main blood donor of the Cypriot economy, with the largest share coming from the province of Famagusta. Taking into account these data, the Municipal Council of Sotiras, just two years after the proclamation of Sotira as a Municipality, decided to take the wise decision to turn to the tourism sector.
It is worth noting that until recently Sotira, despite the advantage of the unique coastline of two kilometers, the important ecclesiastical heritage and the famous traditional restaurants of Cypriot gastronomy had no view on tourism. This was mainly due to the exclusive occupation of the inhabitants with the agricultural production, to the unrestrained building development which contributed to the "unsightly" alteration of the coastal area and to the integration of this area in Natura 2000 which prohibits any form of development.
Nevertheless, the Municipality of Sotiras, comparing the meager financial assistance of the state with the new perspectives brought by tourism, decided to launch a grand but at the same time promising plan for the regeneration of the coastal area with the expected attraction of this tourist interest. will bring.
Thus, he proceeded to a complete redesign of the seafront with the radical renovation of the existing restaurant of Agia Thekla and its transformation into a modern and welcoming recreation area. At the same time, the Mayor and the Municipal Council took the important decision of creating two new beaches west of Agia Thekla. Essentially, these two new beaches (named Poseidon and Sirens) were created without any interference with the natural element, as required by the Natura 2000 project. The work focused on the removal of stones and vegetation on the sand with the The result is amazing, since two of the most beautiful and richest in sand beaches in Cyprus have been created. The Municipality also took care of the installation of recreation kiosks and sanitary facilities on the beaches, making them fully organized with beds and umbrellas. In addition, the beaches are fully oriented and focused on people with disabilities, as they provide all the special facilities.
Special interest in the beaches of Sotira has been shown by the University of Indianapolis, which will visit the Municipality of Sotira in mid-May to study its students focusing on the design of beaches in order to provide facilities to people with disabilities.
Also positive is the attitude of travel agents and civil marriage agents, as their interest in the area has increased sharply, waiting for the reform of the coastal area of Sotira and the addition of a new tourist destination on the map of our province. It is worth mentioning that the work on the beaches has contributed to the tripling of the bookings of civil weddings for 2013, something that brings direct income for the Municipality.
In conclusion, the Mayor and the Municipal Council of Sotira can now be challenged for the change of Sotira to a new tourist destination, with all the positives that this entails. The economic crisis that knocked on the door of our country, can be addressed with the decisive and planned turn to tourism, which will bring immediate profits, increase jobs, but also change the Savior to a strong presence in the tourist map of the free province. Famagusta. The Municipality of Sotiras has now decided to take advantage of the assets that it has left in obscurity for so long, and with the City Branding that is already preparing to be implemented, it will acquire the identity and dynamics that it deserves.
Marinos Pavlikkas
Source: Famagusta Tourist Commercial Industrial Company