THE FOUR biggest municipalities in the Famagusta district are building their appetite for the construction of a multi-million luxurious casino complex in the district, in an effort to diversify their touristic character.
At a news conference yesterday, the municipalities of Paralimni, Ayia Napa, Sotira and Deryneia, in association with the Famagusta Chamber of Commerce (EVEA), presented their joint plan for a modern multi-purpose complex that would include among others a luxurious casino.
The plan, with initial estimated costs of over €100 million, is currently up for grabs as it has yet to find an investor.
The designers estimate that the proposed complex would need around 16,000 square metres of land, while architectural designs have envisaged it right on the beachside.
The municipalities said that the site where the casino would be built would also depend on the investors, but stressed that the municipality chosen to host the complex should have a say in the plan’s final design.
“Regardless of where the plan will finally be built, all involving communities should reap the plan’s financial benefits” the EVEA statement said.
In a notable U-turn from previous government policy, the government announced last October that it was considering the possibility of allowing the operation of casinos on the island.
Since then, the old airport terminal in Larnaca and the site of the Qatari hotel complex investment in Nicosia have both been touted as possible sites for setting up casinos.
With hoteliers, the Cyprus Tourism Organisation (CTO) and political parties endorsing the concept of casinos in Cyprus, EVEA chairman, Giorgos Michaelides said that the plan would upgrade and differentiate the “outdated model of tourism that we have in the area now.”
The ambitious plan is set to incorporate a top-notch casino, a state of the art space-themed amusement room for children, and a multimedia area where a virtual reality system will be dedicated to the history of Cyprus and the island’s underwater environment.
A hotel, conference area, 1,000-seat amphitheatre and several golf courses could also be possible features of the complex, depending on the preferences of possible investors.
All participating officials said that the casino was the focal point of the project and expressed their belief that this undertaking would substantially help Cyprus move out of the financial crisis.
Whether the project will go through any time soon is uncertain as the licensing of casinos has yet to be discussed thoroughly in parliament, while the necessary legislation has still not been drafted.
Cyprus Mail