Tourist arrivals in Cyprus are increasing year by year, Deputy Minister of Tourism Kostas Koumis said today, noting at the same time that it is satisfactory that the cities on our island are competing with each other since with this competition we will have a much better Cyprus.
In his greeting at an event where the architectural approach of "Larnaka Land of Tomorrow" was presented at the headquarters of the Petrolina Group, Mr. Koumis said that "Larnaka is a city that is trying to climb even higher in terms of tourism and to achieve this it must to bring even more projects to the city".
The specific project, he added, "is very big and very worthwhile but the most important thing is that it moves in the context of Sustainable Sustainable Development which is of great interest to us and is a message that must continue to be spread everywhere in Cyprus".
Mr. Koumis referred both to the temporal expansion of tourism in Cyprus and to its spatial expansion. "This spatial expansion will be achieved with projects like the one presented today by the Lefkaritis Group" he said and added that "tourism is growing day by day worldwide. Arrivals in Cyprus are increasing year by year, we had a huge increase in the period 2014 – 2018 and in order for more tourists to continue to arrive on our island we need new tourist and noteworthy tourist areas".
He also expressed "special satisfaction for the fact that the project includes Blue Development, which is included in Green Development, cultural routes were created, while the project was connected to the history of Larnaca".
Mr. Koumis called it "very important for the Deputy Ministry of Tourism to connect the past with the present because we have to build on our history since various initiatives can be developed through it."
"There is an intention to create a business center, which is also important because it is not only a project that will give development to Larnaca but also citizens and all Cypriots will be able to enjoy it," he noted.
The Deputy Minister of Tourism also stated that "we share the vision of the Lefkaritis Group to make Larnaca perhaps the best city in Cyprus. We like to see the cities competing with each other because at the end of the day we will have a much better Cyprus and we want to see the destinations competing with each other."
The Environment Commissioner Maria Panagiotou also expressed her satisfaction with the presentation of the project, who stated that "it is an optimistic and feasible project, which includes the natural expansion of Larnaca, inspired by the beauties and biodiversity of Cyprus. But what satisfies the Office of the Commissioner of the Environment is that it contributes to the transformation of Larnaca into a green city and is a project that is fully compatible with the terms of Green Development and Sustainable Mobility".
We can't wait, Ms. Panagiotou continued, "to see the project come to fruition, which looks like it will change not only Larnaca for the better, but also Cyprus as a whole."
In his greeting, the Executive Chairman of the Group, Kostakis Lefkaritis, said that "Foster + Partners, together with our partners, have shared our vision and ambitions so that the Land of Tomorrow is created with respect for the environment, people and the city of Larnaca".
The Executive Managing Director of the Group, Dinos Lefkaritis, welcomed the guests to the "historic" presentation, as he described it, and stated that "the Land of Tomorrow will be a point of reference for both Larnaca and Cyprus, attracting new people and businesses from everywhere. This is what Larnaca deserves, which is why we have invested in a strong team of partners, for the realization of our legacy to the next generations."
The Mayor of Larnaca, Andreas Vyras, expressed his "satisfaction with the implementation of the project", thanked the Petrolina Group for the specific development and said that "Land of Tomorrow is perfectly aligned with the Municipality's vision for the development of the city".
This was followed by the presentation of the project by Ben Scott, Senior Partner of Foster + Partners, who explained that "the main source of inspiration for the creation of the vision of Land of Tomorrow was the rich history of the city with the main elements that define it. Our ambition for the Land of Tomorrow masterplan is to create a landmark development that will be an extension of the city while maintaining and enhancing its most important features."
He also noted that the project that will be implemented on an area of 400 thousand square meters "will be a legacy for future generations".
The general design of the masterplan is guided by a strict environmental and ecological approach, sustainability, the dominance of green and open spaces, access to modern infrastructure, as well as the connection with the surrounding areas", he concluded.
It is noted that the presentation was attended by MPs, the Mayors of Aradippou and Livadi, the Mayor of Oroklinis, the Police Director of Larnaca, the President of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry and representatives of ETAP Larnaca and the Fire Service.
Source: KYPE