The decision by the forestry department and the deputy ministry of tourism to keep almost all official state campsites closed this summer is a complete failure of public management.

Forcing a total shutdown at places like Troodos and Platania – while simultaneously threatening people with €5,000 fines and jail time for wild camping – doesn’t protect our forests. It just shows that authorities would rather ban the public from nature than bother managing it properly.

Now that the iconic Polis Chrysochous site has also been bulldozed for redevelopment, budget-friendly and outdoor tourism in Cyprus is practically dead.

Polis campsite is now fenced off

Local families and young travellers who cannot afford hotels or expensive glamping are completely locked out of their own country’s nature.

Managed campsites are not a threat to conservation; they are the solution. They provide supervised barbecue zones, proper bins, and centralised areas where authorities can easily monitor what is going on. By shutting these safe havens down, the government is just driving desperate people into unmanaged, deep-forest stealth camping. This actually increases the risk of accidental wildfires – the exact opposite of what the forestry department wants.

Instead of treating responsible people like criminals, authorities need to open up temporary, fire-safe zones for the rest of the season. They also owe the public a clear explanation as to why these state sites have been left to rot, and a real timeline for when they will reopen. Closing off the forests is just a lazy alternative to proper environmental management.

Anton Fentorov