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- Ελληνικά
"Agrotourism in our country is on the rise"
The 18th Annual General Assembly of the Cyprus Agrotourism Society, held in Platres yesterday, Monday, April 15, was attended by the Deputy Minister of Tourism Mr. Kostas Koumis.
Mr Koumis made a special reference to the incentive plans of the Ministry of Tourism which are aimed at mountainous areas, rural areas and border areas, and which undoubtedly support the countryside of our country.
In relation to the 1st notice of the Revitalization Plan for mountainous areas, rural areas and border areas, projects in 80 communities have already been implemented or are in the process of being implemented, he said, which proves the true intention of the Deputy Ministry of Tourism and the government in general to support the countryside.
With regard to rural tourism services, the Deputy Minister said that it is very encouraging that there has been an upward trend in recent years in the preferences of thousands of people around the world. This upward trend is also evidenced in our country and we are particularly pleased, since, as Mr Koumis said, there has been an increase in the number of overnight stays in traditional buildings. Specifically, in 2023, 166,293 overnight stays in traditional buildings were recorded, compared to 153,196 in 2022: "Agrotourism is a tourism model that has emerged through the need for people to seek accommodation options in nature, away from the tensions of everyday life, accompanied by the provision of authentic services. It is a type of tourism created to meet the quality requirements of a different market segment, and undoubtedly represents a very good development opportunity for local economies, the countryside, mountainous and border areas to develop further, always in a context of absolute respect for nature, the environment and cultural heritage. The incentive plans that we have announced in recent months, as well as the continuous promotion of the agrotourism sector in major foreign markets, prove the truth of the matter."
He concluded his speech by stating that for the Government of Nikos Christodoulides, the improvement of rural infrastructure, and thus the improvement of the living standards of rural residents, is a priority.
It is noted that the Cyprus Rural Tourism Association has been active for 28 years, listing a total of 124 member companies.
(AF/GS)
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