Only six per cent of tourists choose Nicosia as their destination, typically seeking “authentic” experiences, gastronomy and nightlife, with figures more than doubling in the winter season, reaching around 15 per cent, Nicosia tourism board (Etap) officer Sotiris Christoforou said on Thursday.

“This is something that demonstrates Nicosia’s potential in terms of the seasonality of tourism and its position in all-year-round tourism, which constitutes a timeless bet for tourism operators,” he said.

The typical visitor, Christoforou said, is young under 40 years, with the majority of tourists, 51 per cent, being women.

He added that the capital’s tourist potential is further highlighted by recent investments including smaller boutique hotels and large hotel complexes, while the completion of another three hotel complexes is expected to further increase the city’s accommodation capacity. 

“We are now in a phase where the number of hotel beds in Nicosia is multiplying. So the issue of accommodation is no longer a concern,” he said.

Christoforou emphasised that Nicosia’s tourism identity differs from that of other regions, highlighting its potential in special interest tourism such as the food sector and industrial tourism.

“This is a huge market for the tourism industry, and we see that visitors are now trying to give more meaning to their visits and are looking for authentic experiences,” he said.

According to Christoforou, ice cream production is being examined as a tourism option in Nicosia, with three large ice cream factories based there. At the same time, mines and quarries are being considered as tourist destinations.

Meanwhile Christoforou said that the cataloging and highlighting of historical street signs within the walled city is currently underway, while plans are being considered to expand the project to other historic districts of Nicosia.

He added that another significant initiative is the revitalisation of the historic water tower from the British colonial period, located at the intersection of Solomos square and Regina street, which will be converted into a visitor information centre.

The goal, as he explained, is for it to serve as an information centre so that the space is accessible to both visitors seeking information about the city and those interested in its history. It will also feature digital tools such as an information kiosk and virtual reality headsets.