As most of us make that trip back to Blighty we are haunted by our memories of the summer holidays that seem so far away!
Cyprus has seen a dramatic increase in tourism this year and obviously most visitors descend over the large ‘summer season’, from May all the way up until October. The most appealing thing is that the Cypriot tourism industry caters for a wide variety of holidaymakers; from your exclusive resorts and family holidays, to the island’s party towns.
The growing trend according to Thomas Cook is that people are looking for VIP clubbing experiences and demand is driving up prices in places like Ibiza. This means that places which promote Club 18-30s are relying on the younger crowds to support their industry, for example the Greek Island of Kos has seen bookings to the island double for visitors under 25 since 2009. Cyprus has the advantage here, where it is able to distinguish itself from being under the umbrella of the so-called 18-30s destinations. Will Cyprus play it’s the role and fill the void of the cheap boozing holiday or provide that VIP clubbing feel for those aged 30 and above?
There is an opportunity to transform the clubbing scene; instead of providing countless alcoholic beverages in large quantities that are, let’s face it, physically impossible to drink in a restrictive bar crawl time frame, they could instead be serving quality drinks and of course be supporting locally produced wines, beers and spirits.
Greece and Spain are already starting to tackle the excessive booze culture that these party towns encourage by limiting the amount of accommodation allocated to 18-30s agencies. It is completely understandable that young men and women are after a cheap holiday to let the hair down and party all night after a long stretch at work or after a mentally challenging semester. It is not that I believe that these young visitors should be priced out; however there are ways to change their behaviours by addressing the clubbing culture. Agia Napa continues to be a favourite for young clubbers, particularly from the UK, thus in a collective effort the binging boozy culture can be altered to be more about quality than quantity. In recalling previous conversations with people that have visited the island, I was perplexed to discover that various tourists actually believed that the island was called Agia Napa, as much as amusing it was just as equally disappointing as an island that has so much to offer is known not only for, but by its party town. Despite being a popular clubbing resort in recent times, Agia Napa was in fact a small fishing village named after the monastery of the same name.
The truth is that Cyprus has so much to offer, so much to discover and young adults should be encouraged to explore the culinary delights, the oenology, the history and the natural beauty of Cyprus.
This is not coming from a point of naivety, I understand the concept of biting the hand that feeds you and that little in large quantities amounts to a lot for the treasuries, but there is an even greater vision for Cyprus, one whereby it can reinvent itself and by all means not alienating the tourists that come in their thousands to party all night, but there is a way of reducing the gluttonous drink culture that people have come to expect. The Cypriot Wine Festival & Business Expo prides itself on delivering the true essence of Cyprus, not commercialized, imported material but the refined rawness of the countryside and the invitation to explore the modern cosmopolitan cities of Cyprus.
So keep up to date as there will be plenty of news and developments in the run up to the 36th annual event. Keep in touch through our social media channels on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and YouTube @CyWineFest and via our website at www.cypriotwinefestival.com
Credit: CyWineFest team
George Charalambous