The Paphos regional tourism board (Etap) has passed on the European Cultural Tourism Network (ECTN) presidency to Romania’s Sibiu tourism association after a Dublin-held election.

The changeover comes after Etap held leadership roles within ECTN for eight consecutive years, including two terms as president and four years as vice president.

Based in Brussels, ECTN remains the sole pan-European network dedicated to integrating culture and tourism.

The network boasts membership from over 40 esteemed institutions and universities across Europe, including countries such as Germany, Sweden, Spain, the UK, Italy, Greece, Cyprus, Portugal, Poland, Bulgaria, Romania, Latvia, Croatia, Ireland, and the Netherlands.

Since joining in 2012, Etap has been a key member, actively contributing to the network’s growth and strategic direction.

This year’s general assembly saw the election of a new board of directors for the 2025-2026 term, with Nasos Hadjigeorgiou, ECTN’s outgoing president, securing a position on the board.

Under his leadership, the network has spearheaded numerous EU-co-funded initiatives, enhancing cultural tourism through projects like CHRISTA, CULTRinG, ReINHerit, Cult-CreTE, DESTI-SMART, Erasmus Foodbiz, and SMP INSPIRES among others.

Hadjigeorgiou’s career in the tourism industry spans over three decades, during which he has held various supervisory, department head, and managerial roles across the hospitality sector.