Tourism Studies

Our Cyprus has been for a decade now, Member of the great European family, while simultaneously experiencing both competition and the necessity to safeguard The quality of the services offered in the tourism sector. We are therefore called upon to address these new realities with determination, ready to make radical changes and improvements with the aim of fully concluding with the requirements of the European Community.

30 years ago I published my first article about the tourist area of Protaras, since then I often write, with the basic themes of the hotel and tourism industry, which I serve as an educator, as a writer and A researcher for 25 years. My current article focuses on the Protaras area again. The reason, it concerns its rapid growth, which had to evolve into one of the most beautiful tourist resorts of our island. Instead, it brings many problems, which need to be resolved as soon as possible before we are faced with undesirable situations.

As an inhabitant of government-controlled Famagusta I could not have been left unmoved by the hasty closure of Eurocypria, not only from the humanitarian point of view, with regard to the fate of the 320 employees who in one night found themselves on the streets, but also because of the negative impact that this will have for tourism, in particular for the government-controlled areas of Famagusta.

During a tourist meeting that was done by a political party DISY on April 11th at Paralimni Municipality with presence of Minister of Tourism, Mr. Paschalides Antonis, I have inferred that the Municipalities of Famagusta District Area, the association of hoteliers, the people who involve in tourism, they do not approach the tourist problems with scientific research that could enhance the tourist product.

20 years ago I published my first article about the tourist area of Protaras. Since then I have written articles on a regular basis, mainly on topics concerning the Hotel and Tourism Industry which I have served as an instructor, author and researcher for the past 25 years. This article focuses once more on the Prοtaras area once again. The reason for this is the rapid development which has transformed the area into one of the most attractive holiday resorts of our island, but which has also brought with it problems which must be solved as soon as possible before we are faced with an unwanted situation.

Three crimes have been committed since the establishment of the Republic of Cyprus: The first was the military coup, the second was the notorious Stock Exchange scandal, and the third, strange as it may seem, is the tourist villas. Permit me to talk about the third of these which concerns the latest crime committed against my country and the future of our children. To quote the well-known saying: “This land is not ours; we are merely borrowing it from our children”.

Our country is now officially a member of the great European family. We are part of a family which has greatly raised the bar regarding the quality both of our lives and of the services we offer. We are therefore called upon to tackle this new situation with courage and boldness, ready to make radical changes and improvements with the ultimate aim of complying fully with EU requirements.

Responding to several references to various media regarding the tourist product of Cyprus, I would like to publish the following article referring to the matter. The suggestions made at it aim at helping to the qualitative upgrade of the product of our island in general and more specific of the Ammohostos area, from which I come from and to which I function as a professional.

It is with regret that I observe that my letter dating 1.14.1995 that was addressed to the Mayor and the Commissioners was ignored. The theme of the specific letter was the reorganization of the Protaras tourist area at a rationale basis. Even sadder is the fact that all my predictions were verified. 1. First and most important is the fact that the tourist planning regarding the area is far from being the proper one. All works necessary for the development of the area end up at Paralimni!

Because of the rapid growth of the tourism at the area of Protaras, which evolves as one of the center points of the tourist product of the island, several problems have also raised, which must be solved before we’re faced with situations which, I’m sure nobody, would like to encounter. The most important of the problems we face are: 1. The constant and unsystematic resurgence of hotel units.

Problems Of The Protaras Tourist Area T (Magazine Tourism Chronicles, 1988) The boom of the Protaras area, which sets of to becoming the most popular resort of our island has brought several problems which must be resolved the soonest possible, before we will face to face with situations nobody would like to deal with. Following, we enumerate the most important, according to our view, problems: