Cyprus Business Now

The Nicosia regional board of tourism (Etap) on Wednesday announced the successful completion of a two-day information session it recently held, which focused on educational tourism.

The event, which was part of the “EduTourism – Promotion of educational tourism for the promotion of natural and cultural heritage” action, was held on April 6 and 7, 2023, at the University of Nicosia.

The conference was also attended by the Deputy Minister of Tourism Costas Koumis, who stressed the significance of projects such as EduTourism in bringing about considerable benefits to various groups of citizens.

Koumis highlighted the importance of cooperation between countries to achieve common goals, adding that educational tourism requires further research and planning while needing collectiveness and collaborative initiatives that go beyond local boundaries.

According to the announcement, various organisations presented their views on different aspects of educational tourism abroad as well as in Cyprus.

The event also showcased various trends and innovations in educational tourism, in a presentation by Yianna Orphanidou from the University of Nicosia, as well as the promotion of Cyprus as an ideal educational tourism destination by Evi Zambetakis, director of university partnerships from the University of Nicosia.

Additionally, the event also showcased how authentic culinary opportunities contribute to more memorable tourism experiences, a topic explained and dissected by Professor Helena Williams from Mohammed VI Polytechnic University.

Meanwhile, Stelios Mavromoustakos, director at the Foundation for the Management of European Lifelong Learning Programmes, spoke about Cyprus’ role as an educational destination for Erasmus+ Programme participants. Three indicative routes of educational tourism in Cyprus were also highlighted.

The two-day event was held as part of the EduTourism project, which is a partnership between six entities in Greece and Cyprus, including Etap Nicosia.

The project has been implemented since June 2021 and has a total duration of 24 months, running until May 2023.

The project has a total budget of €1,711,672 and is co-financed by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) and by the national resources of Greece and Cyprus.

The operation is implemented within the framework of the Cross-Border Cooperation Programme Interreg V-A Greece-Cyprus 2014-2020.

The Cyprus Chamber of Commerce and Industry (Keve) on Wednesday announced that it has received certification for two international standards, ISO 9001:2015 and ISO 14001:2015, as part of its ongoing efforts to provide top-notch services to its members, the local business community and the Cypriot economy.

The chamber said that its systems provide quality and environmental management tools, including monitoring the achievement of goals related to Keve’s processes and environmental objectives, as well as promoting environmental awareness among its staff and partners.

Moreover, the announcement explained that the organisation’s primary and long-term objective is to continuously enhance its operations by providing excellent service to the business community, from the point of initial communication to post-task completion support.

The announcement went on to say that the chamber’s quality and environmental management systems were evaluated by TUV Cyprus, which confirmed that they meet all standards requirements, providing the most credible validation of the quality of services provided.

“The Cyprus of Chamber of Commerce and Industry’s commitment to delivering high-quality services has been demonstrated through its achievement of these international standards, which signify the organisation’s dedication to the continuous improvement of its operations,” Keve said.

“By meeting these standards, Keve has ensured that it provides services of the highest quality to its members and society as a whole,” the chamber added.

The Cyprus Stock Exchange (CSE) ended Wednesday, April 19 with profits.

The general Cyprus Stock Market Index was at 108.07 points at 12:49 during the day, reflecting an increase of 0.42 per cent over the previous day of trading.

The FTSE / CySE 20 Index was at 65.35 points, representing a rise of 0.43 per cent.

The total value of transactions came up to €159,951.

In terms of the sub-indexes, the main, alternative, and investment firm indexes rose by 0.71 per cent, 0.06 per cent and 4.67 per cent respectively. The hotel index remained unchanged.

The biggest investment interest was attracted by the Bank of Cyprus (-0.39 per cent), Blue Island (-0.60 per cent), Atlantic Insurance (+1.2 per cent), Hellenic Bank (+0.29 per cent), and Demetra (+4.9 per cent).