Nicosia, Cyprus. Cyprus will launch an Easter Villages scheme in 2027 to attract more visitors to rural and mountainous communities during the Easter period, the deputy tourism ministry said on Tuesday. The initiative was approved by the cabinet last week.
Funding programme for rural communities
The scheme will invite municipalities and communities along the Heartland of Legends route to apply for funding. Ten locations will be selected to organise Easter-themed activities from Holy Thursday to the Sunday after Easter.
Planned Easter activities
The programme will include traditional food preparation, craft workshops, Epitaphios decoration and Easter games. It will also feature guided tours, Cypriot dance lessons, Byzantine music, iconography demonstrations and outdoor activities.
Support for local products and heritage
Communities will be able to set up stalls to promote and sell local products. Deputy Tourism Minister Kostas Koumis said the scheme aims to boost tourism, attract more visitors to rural areas, support local communities and preserve Cyprus’ cultural heritage through authentic Easter experiences.
Tourism figures decline
Although the tourism sector has shown encouraging signs of recovery after disruption caused by regional instability, tourism arrivals have fallen since the start of the year and have not returned to expected levels.
The impact of the Middle East crisis, which started at the end of February, was felt almost immediately. During the first four months of 2026, total tourism receipts stood at €443 million, down 23.9 per cent from the €582.5 million recorded in the same period in 2025.