Regarding Glamping camps, after the rejection of the relevant bill by the Plenary of the House of Representatives, it came back with some improvements. Also, following a proposal by DISY President Averof Neophytou, the adoption of legislation on the establishment and operation of visitable farms, which will be licensed by the Deputy Ministry of Tourism, was discussed.
For the visitable farms, Chairman of the Committee, DISY MP Kyriakos Hatzigiannis said that on the basis of agricultural activity the opportunity is created for the farmer, the breeder, "to create additional supplementary income." He said that the proposal was welcomed by all the guests and there were suggestions that will be taken very seriously in order for the legislation to be completed and implemented as soon as possible.
"We, in turn, welcome the submission of this legislative proposal. We assure you that we will promote it as quickly as possible so that our tourism and rural economy can have this very useful tool at their disposal. There are huge numbers of interested visitors in the world who would like to experience some days in a natural environment, in a farming and ranching activity," he noted.
With regard to the bill on luxury camps, Hatzigiannis said that it was reintroduced, following its rejection by the Plenary, taking into account the environmental concerns of the House. "It has been done in that environmental inoculation in a way that locks in any abusive intentions or developments" to prevent it from going unchecked, he said. "We have made good additions, the text will be completed and we will have it before us in the plenary session of the Parliament."
AKEL MP Kostas Kostas said that for two years the Deputy Minister of Tourism and the Minister of Agriculture had been saying that a bill was being prepared, while the Deputy Minister of Tourism said a fortnight ago during the budget debate that it was at the final stage and would soon be submitted to the Parliament. "Today Mr Neophytou's draft came today, just before the Parliament closed and I don't know if the text is the same."
"The important thing is that whatever we are going to do, we have to do it solely to help our farmers and ranchers, with care so as not to serve any interests," he concluded.
In his remarks, DPA-Collaboration MP Michalis Yakoumi said that the regulation for glamping-type camps included provisions for environmental protection, the installation of plumbing and sewage systems, as well as the installation of photovoltaic panels.
"Both the luxury camps and visiting farms enrich the tourism product of our country, contribute to the development of mountainous areas and create a new category of tourism, based on the experience and education of visitors," Yakoumi noted.
"Beyond the sun and the sea, our country can use the countryside both to upgrade our tourism product and to strengthen the economy," he concluded.
Charalambos Theopeptou, President of the Movement of Ecologists,[/B] said that there are still problems with the bill. "The planning department is not ready to tell us where glamping will be allowed and will include it in the special developments, which can be anywhere." He also noted that it is important to have an annual inspection and that those who are going to operate such structures, especially if they are located in environmentally sensitive upland areas, should not be allowed to apply for a variance.
Theopeptou also stressed the need to establish operating regulations and what exactly is defined as glamping,so that there are no derogations. "Finally, the Department of Environment, which we expected to be militant, even to prevent the construction of glamping, made suggestions, which also relaxed the operation by removing the eco-label because it is considered difficult to implement," he said.
Regarding the suggestion on visiting farms, the President of the Ecologists noted that those who are concerned with the environment, when they hear the phrase visiting farm "shudder". "The reason is simple. The first time we saw them was when the government was inspired to build them in the protected areas of the Akamas. And now we have a bill that came from DISY that refers to a visiting farm."
He noted that he would "passionately support the creation of the visiting farm", as it is done in Europe, "where a farmer or a rancher can host people on his farm, have an extra income, where a family can go and enjoy life in nature, where the children of the family can mix with the animals, where they can have experiences." "Not to make special structures in areas and call it a visiting farm, another kind of tourist accommodation, which I will find the opportunity to place and locate in protected areas," he concluded
Source: CNA
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