World Bank to assist in Akamas tourism development

The Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Costas Kadis and the Deputy Minister of Tourism, Savvas Perdios, met with representatives of the World Bank, on Thursday, in order to formulate a tourism strategy for Akamas.

"Today we had the opportunity to meet with the representatives of the World Bank, those responsible for the programs in Southern Europe and for Cyprus in particular", Kadis said in a statement, adding that they will discuss the possibility of formulating a tourism strategy specifically for Akamas, with the goal to protect the area and at the same time, provide many benefits to the local communities.

Kadis said that there is accumulated experience from other regions as well, noting that Cyprus and Akamas are good examples "where tourism and tourist activities, which use as a competitive advantage the protection of nature and the natural environment, can work in favor of local communities as well," he noted.

The Minister noted that the goal is for the World Bank to undertake the provision of technical assistance for the formulation of such a strategy and, following that, to financially support the implementation of the strategy.

"This effort is done in parallel with the effort to publish the local plan for the area. At the same time, work on improving the National Forest Park in the area has also begun. All these actions that are being done for Akamas, I think, create a very positive perspective, which ensures the protection of the natural environment, in accordance with European legislation, and ensuring the protection of the rich biodiversity hosted in Akamas", said Kadis.

He also emphasized that the above actions will also provide for the local community "opportunities for development so that prosperity will come and the negative course of the recent years will be reversed" while communities may flourish again, "in a sustainable and proper way", as he put it.