Educational tourism is undoubtedly an important part of a country’s tourism and has been growing significantly in recent years. The European Union has emphasised the promotion of alternative thematic itineraries in the Member States in the context of educational tourism by providing funds for the creation of support and promotion infrastructures. Educational tourism is nothing more than a combination of learning and entertainment, and it also occurs during periods that are not considered ‘tourist’ for a region. The promotion of educational attractions in a country is important in order for that country to become a destination for educational tourism, while bringing a multitude of benefits to the country’s tourism industry.
In Cyprus, the general tourism sector is a key revenue generator for the general economy, as the island is known to be a tourist destination for many tourists. As Cyprus has a long history and has innumerable thematic itineraries that fall under various categories of educational tourism, it is undoubtedly an attractive destination for educational tourism. In this article, a brief reference will be made to important areas of educational and alternative tourism in Cyprus, in which visitors to Cyprus show interest. It is clarified that visitors to Cyprus are defined as domestic visitors as well as tourists. Στην Κύπρο, ο γενικός τομέας του τουρισμού αποτελεί βασικό έσοδο στην γενική οικονομία, αφού είναι γνωστό πως το νησί αποτελεί τουριστικός προορισμός πολλών τουριστών. Καθώς η Κύπρος διαθέτει μία μακρά ιστορία και έχει αναρίθμητες θεματικές διαδρομές που εμπίπτουν σε διάφορες κατηγορίες εκπαιδευτικού τουρισμού, αποτελεί αδιαμφησβήτητα ένας ελκυστικός προορισμός εκπαιδευτικού τουρισμού. Στο άρθρο αυτό, θα γίνει μία συνοπτική αναφορά σε σημαντικούς τομείς εκπαιδευτικού και εναλλακτικού τουρισμού στην Κύπρο, στους οποίους επιδεικνύουν ενδιαφέρον οι επισκέπτες της Κύπρου. Διευκρινίζεται ότι ως επισκέπτες στην Κύπρο καθορίζονται εγχώριοι επισκέπτες αλλά και τουρίστες.
One area of educational tourism in Cyprus that has always been of interest to visitors to Cyprus is that of culture and history. Museums are an important means of informing and educating visitors about the history and culture of Cyprus. In Cyprus, museums vary according to their thematic area. For example, several museums are dedicated to history and culture, while other museums have architecture combined with culture as their thematic field. Important examples of museums with a historical character are the ‘Museum of Folk Art’ in Nicosia, and the ‘Local Archaeological Museum of Ledron’, also in Nicosia. At the same time, the ‘Chatzigeorgakis Kornesios Mansion’ in Nicosia, which functions as a museum, is a jewel that displays the architecture and customs of the period. At the same time, visitors to Cyprus also show considerable interest in the archaeological monuments as part of their study of the island’s history. Important examples include the “Neolithic settlement of Tenta” in Larnaca dating from 7000-5200 BC and the ancient city-kingdom of Tamassos dating from the 8th century BC.
Gastronomy is an integral alternative thematic sector of educational tourism in Cyprus. Gastronomy in Cyprus is an important part of its culture and Cypriots show considerable interest in it as it is inextricably linked to social and family events. Gastronomy in Cyprus is part of the Mediterranean diet and combines Greek cuisine with influences from the Middle East. Therefore, local recipes and dishes are an important area of alternative tourism in Cyprus where many visitors show interest. Examples of gastronomic itineraries in Cyprus with significant interest from visitors are the themes of local products of haloumi and kumandaria. For this reason, there are infrastructures in areas where these products are produced so that all visitors can taste the traditional products while at the same time they can be informed as to how these products are produced (for example, the museum of Coumadaria in Zoopigi). At the same time, significant interest in this thematic area is shown through the development of sustainable production units with an important example being the “Riverland Bio Farm”. Through the aforementioned and other gastronomy destinations available in Cyprus, the promotion of gastronomy and cooking in Cyprus is achieved, while at the same time smaller and remote areas (e.g. mountainous areas) are showcased as a pole of attraction for visitors.
One notable sector of educational tourism in Cyprus that is experiencing significant growth is the learning sector. In particular, higher education institutions in Cyprus are a major attraction for students abroad due to the level of studies and the disciplines offered. Over time, more and more young people from abroad are showing interest in the undergraduate or postgraduate programmes offered in various higher education institutions. By going to Cyprus for education, young students also have the opportunity to use their stay in Cyprus to gain knowledge, but also to familiarise themselves and get to know the Cyprus environment.
In short, it is obvious that educational tourism and the alternative thematic itineraries offered in Cyprus constitute an important part of Cyprus’ tourism and its promotion will bring a lot of benefits to the island’s tourism industry. Such a promotion is achieved through the action entitled “EduTourism – Promotion of educational tourism for the promotion of natural and cultural heritage” which is being implemented in the framework of the cross-border programme Interreg V-A Greece – Cyprus 2014-2020.
For more information you can visit the website of the action and the website of the Interreg V-A Greece-Cyprus 2014-2020 Programme.