Larnaca tourism stakeholders and the local community are canvassing for long-neglected Pervolia Lighthouse to serve as a pole of attraction for visitors and a research centre.

The issue was discussed during a meeting on Monday of Larnaca’s tourism board (LTB), CMMI-Cyprus Marine and Maritime Institute and Pervolia community council with the Cyprus Ports Authority agreed.

In a statement on Tuesday, LTB noted that the Lighthouse has remained underutilised and neglected for years.

Their plan is to turn it into a hub for the education and research community and as a point of attraction for visitors, while enhancing its interaction with the maritime element.

Port Authority President Dr. Antonis Stylianou welcome the initiative. He spoke of an interesting proposal that will make the monument stand out and offer multiple benefits especially in the promotion of maritime literacy. He further added that this development is fully in line with the broader goals of blue development.

Larnaca tourism board President Dinos Lefkaritis stressed the need for close cooperation with CPA in the implementation of this plan which will benefit the local, research community and tourism.

Kostas Tsingis, President of the Pervolia Community Council said the Lighthouse was a historic point of reference for the area. “In conjunction with the adjacent coastal pedestrian path and other developments and given their correct utilization will provide further development opportunities,” he said.

CMMI’s Managing Director Zacharias Siokouros said the proposals submitted to the President of CPA were drawn up after in-depth discussions between CMMI’s research staff and Larnaca’s tourism board and cover a wide spectrum of scientific fields aiming at achieving an interdisciplinary approach in shaping a multifaceted, socially responsible final proposal.

According to the statement the four parties agreed to drawing up a memorandum of cooperation.