Nicosia can “emerge as a model for the combination of urban and regional tourism”, Tourism Deputy Minister Costas Koumis said on Monday night.

Addressing an event held by Nicosia’s tourism development board (Etap), he said Cyprus’ capital can “offer a comprehensive experience for each visitor while protecting its local community and environment”.

To this end, he said Nicosia has “a unique identity which combines its centuries old history with modern cultural and economic development”, and that as such, the development of its tourism sector “must be done through proper planning”.

This planning, he said, should entail parks and green spaces, and “connect its urban centre with the surrounding areas, creating a unified network of experiences which are focused on sustainable development”, including the promotion of agrotourism in the Nicosia district’s rural communities.

Koumis said he looks forward to working with stakeholders to “promote the capital” and “create new experiences, promote cultural heritage and organise important events which will attract both local and foreign visitors”.

With this in mind, he said his deputy ministry is already working to develop tourism in Nicosia into different sectors, with initiatives already having been devised for “special forms of tourism”, including sports tourism, cultural tourism and gastronomic tourism, as well as educational trips and conferences.

He added that these initiatives are “fully consistent with the identity of Nicosia and its comparative advantages”.

“Support for the sustainable development of mountainous areas, rural areas and Nicosia’s old town is a priority for both the government and the tourism deputy ministry, and every policy is now intertwined with the green transition and the digital transformation,” he said.

He added that therefore, “it is necessary to align everyone who makes up the tourism ecosystem, including local authorities, to make the country a modern, sustainable, and attractive tourist destination which respects the environment, cultural heritage, and local communities”.