Larnaca tourism body joins EU project on gender-based violence in hospitality

Larnaca, Cyprus. The Larnaca Tourism Development and Promotion Company (ETAP) is participating in SAFEHOST, a European project designed to help the hospitality sector prevent and address gender-based violence.

The project brings together organisations from Cyprus, Greece, Italy, Spain and Denmark and is funded through the European Union’s CERV programme.

Training and referral tools

SAFEHOST will provide hotels and frontline staff with tools to identify possible cases of gender-based violence and safely refer people to appropriate support services.

Project partners will examine existing practices and the challenges faced by hotels and civil society organisations. Their findings will be used to develop a training programme for hospitality workers.

The programme will focus on recognising warning signs, responding sensitively and following safe referral procedures.

Cooperation and public information

The project aims to establish cooperation and referral protocols involving more than 60 hotels, strengthening links between the tourism industry and specialised support services.

A multilingual mobile application, including an AI chatbot and referral board, will provide information and access to support services.

SAFEHOST will also run a multilingual information campaign targeting hotel guests and the wider public.

ETAP said hospitality workers are often in direct contact with people travelling, working or staying away from familiar surroundings.