A new study on how to raise the tourism potential of Nicosia to be published today has identified four key areas in which Nicosia can complement the tourism on offer for the rest of the island.
The research, paid for by the Cyprus Tourism Organisation and carried out by PricewaterhouseCoopers, has been sponsored by a forum comprising the Nicosia Chamber of Commerce, municipalities, hoteliers, restaurants and a variety of other associations involved in tourism.
One reason for carrying out the research is that Nicosia attracts only 3.6% of the tourist inflow of Cyprus, the lowest of any European capital.
“It is clear that the tourist product of Cyprus needs to be supplemented by other forms of tourism apart from sun and sea and we believe Nicosia has a special role in this respsoect: not in competition with the coastal cities but in addition to what they can offer,” Nicosia Chamber of Commerce head Manthos Mavromatis told the Financial Mirror.
The four areas identified are cultural tourism, business tourism, sports tourism and city break tourism.
The old city with its traditional buildings, the museum full of monuments of all ages and in some cases the more traditional cuisine than can be found in tourist hot spots are all areas of strong potential for cultural tourism.
Nicosia’s infrastructure, such as the interntional conference centre and the state fair, can be used to make the most of the capital’s position as the centre of business and government.
“We want to give special attention to new segments of business tourism like educational tourism and medical tourism,” said Mavromatis.
Sports tourism will focus more on making the most of existing facilities by hosting international events, rather than competing head on with the coastal cities for training. For example, the shooting ground outside Nicosia will already be used to host the world games in 2007.
Last but not least, the study notes that there is plenty of scope to increase city break tourism–short breaks often for shopping or sightseeing purposes–which is an increasing trend in Europe.
Mavromatis noted that this can be combined with promoting traditional cuisine in order to maintain the traditional character of the city.
Separately, the Financial Mirror has learned that Ledra Street will soon be host to a new restaurant/cafe selling traditional Cypriot food.
Mavromatis said that the expected opening of another crossing to northern Cyprus in the old town will also enhance the potential for the old city in general.
“This is not in competition with the coastal cities,” Mavromatis is at pains to point out. “We don’t want to take those tourists who want the sea and the sun. We want to attract other kinds of tourists.”
Fiona Mullen
