13.12.2021
The government and the new Ministry of Tourism made attempts to develop mountain areas. A commissioner for the development of mountain communities and infrastructure projects was appointed.
New facilities have been announced and are being built, mountain villages should see positive results.
Assistance in the purchase of property in these areas for permanent residents, as well as small improvements in the villages, are setting a positive trend.
For the first time in 42 years, there has been a noticeable interest of local residents in building their homes and developing small businesses in such places.
There is still a lot of work to be done for this:
- You need affordable and high-quality Internet. Connecting a house in mountain villages to the Internet costs about 40 euros. According to experts, it should be free, at least for the students who live there.
- Various events that would have been in many villages are now canceled (along with subsidies for them), which is a big disadvantage for tourists to promote and visit.
- The Christmas decorations could be the main attraction if the same atmosphere as in Austria and Germany could be created.
- There is potential to promote Cypriot culture. Greece has many cultural associations and clubs promoting local dances and other traditional activities. Such groups should receive generous subsidies for the organization of holidays and even small salaries for those who actively participate in them. Such events should include subsidized bus travel for visitors from cities.
- Wildfires are a major concern.It is not enough to be ready to rush to put out a fire when it has already begun. Prevention is the best solution. To do this, it is proposed to hire foresters.
- The problem is the incompetence of local authorities. One example was the attempt to build a yurt at Platres. “Development” began, but after the efforts of activists, it was stopped. The pines were cut down and the rubbish left behind. The local council reported that the environment would be restored, but a year and a half later, residents do not see any progress.
The inefficiency of local councils and central government leads to all kinds of inaction.
Heating is a major problem and although there are several subsidy schemes to help cover costs, this is not enough. A man lives in Omodos and pays 500 euros a month for heating. Now he is leaving this place.
There are few permanent mountain dwellers and they do not have the voice to help improve the situation.
