Cyprus steps up investment in mountain and rural tourism

Agros, Cyprus. Cyprus is increasing investment in mountain and rural tourism to draw more visitors inland, support local communities and strengthen its appeal as a year-round destination, Deputy Tourism Minister Kostas Koumis said on Thursday.

Focus on local communities

Speaking at the conference “Mountain Areas, Special Interest of Tourism and Community Resilience”, held as part of Mountain Games Cyprus 2026, Koumis described authenticity as “a major asset for the tourism sector”. He said the character of rural and mountain communities was central to their long-term appeal.

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The four-day Mountain Games programme, organised during the European Week of Sport, includes 35 activities across eight Troodos villages within the UNESCO Global Geopark.

Koumis said the government and the Deputy Ministry were continuing to invest in mountain and rural areas. Recent studies, he added, showed that travellers were increasingly seeking nature, outdoor activities and experiences that bring them closer to local communities.

Trails and year-round tourism

The National Tourism Strategy 2035 identifies nature and rural tourism, alongside cultural tourism, as important special-interest segments and gives hiking trails a prominent role. Koumis said these forms of tourism could help extend the season, spread visitor flows inland and strengthen Cyprus’ position as a year-round destination.

Troodos has “all the ingredients to meet this demand”, he said, citing its walking trails, wine villages, Geopark and UNESCO-listed monuments.

The Deputy Ministry is working with the Forestry Department to promote walking and cycling tourism, develop and signpost routes, and improve forest recreation infrastructure.

Koumis also highlighted the publication by the Cyprus Organisation for Standardisation (CYS) of a national standard for hiking trails. For the first time at national level, it sets criteria for trails’ general characteristics and difficulty, as well as minimum requirements for their design, construction, marking and management.