There are many fine hoteIs with high standards, from large and
luxurious to small and simple; from the
grandeur of the
international chain to the convenience of hotel
apartments with cooklng facilities. There are youth hostels
too, and camping sltes
with good facilities. But
all share the island charm of wellcoming smiles and good friendly
service.
Cyprus continues to
grow
as a serious conference and incentive destination, and many hotels have now
responded to this demand with
excellent
meeting halls and the most modern faciliies for businessmen. Their staff are well
trained to cater
for the needs of business groups,
while imaginative local travel agents have perfrected the art of
surprising
incentive visitors with outings that range from the
unusual to the spectacular. In Nicosia you will find the
most sophisticated Conference Centre on the island which accomrnodates more
than 1,OOO
delegates.
Cyprus history presents an unlimited
choice
of places to see and things to do.
Neolithic settlements, ancient Greek temples and theatres,
Byzantine churches and monasteries,
tombs, museums and castles -
or just a glimpse of the simple life of
yester year in remote villages, unchanged and steeped in
tradition.
To get
around the Island there
are hire cars from International and local companies, or tours in luxury air-
conditioned coaches
with well
trained guides that speak fluent English. There is also an inexpensive but frequent inter- town service
taxi
system, whereby the visitor rents a seat, and good public bus services. Driving is on the left as in Britain
and
distances between towns relatively small.
With its
wonderful climate
Cyprus
offers a variety of sports to choose from all year round, and an opportunity to
embark on something exciting and
different. Her
unpolluted waters offer every type of watersport possible,
and the chance to experience the exhilarating speed
of parascending, or
even explore the mysteries of the
deep by sub-aqua diving, under the expert guidance of several
professional schools recognised by
the British
Sub Aqua Club.
Cycling or hiking take on a new dimension in the safe
unspoilt and beautiful
countryside
where superb views, wild birds, flowers and exotic plants can be studied at leisure. And
in the
winter thereΥs enough snow for a
short skiing season in the Troodos Mountains.
Religion plays an important part
in Cyprus life. This is evidenced in
the
predominance of impressive monasteries, churches, chapels and roadside shrines on the
island. The country
has known
Christianity since Roman times, when St Paul arrived in Pafos and converted the Roman Proconsul
Sergius Paulus in 45 AD.
Whilst Greek Orthodox is the national denomination, all other faiths are completely
accepted and
many practised at their own
places of worship, such as Anglican and Catholic
churches.
Religion
and celebration are deeply
entwined, and the most important event in the church
calendar is the occasion of Easter. Another
popular
religious festival and one which is unique to Cyprus is KataklysmosΣ meaning the
Flood which coincides with
Pentecost, and is celebrated at seaside towns - especially Larnaca.
But festive excuses are not
hard to
find. Every village has its panagyri or fair usually at harvest time. On a larger scale the island
celebrates its
grapes at
the annual Limassol Wine Festival; Its flowers at various town festivities. The
Carnival, chiefly in Limassol (but recently
in Larnaka and Pafos too) is celebrated with parades, parties and
masked balls, and there are cultural festivals in summer
Including
the ancient Greek Drama
Festival.
There s so much choice
that the problem
in Cyprus is not what to buy but what not to buy. Pottery is always popular for the items are small
distinctive and very
inexpensive. The famous handmade embroidery known as LefkaritikaΣ after its village of
origin,
can be found all over Cyprus and
makes another enviable gift. Legend has it that Leonardo Da Vinci
found this work so
beautiful that he took a tablecloth back with
him to place on the "Ayia Trapeza" altar of
Milan Cathedral. Also attractive
are the local silver or copper work, the baskets and
tapestries. Shoes are a
good buy, being stylish but extremely reasonably
priced and leather, either made up into jackets, bags or
cases, or made to measure for visitors, is a bargain thatΥs hard to
resist. And so are textiles. You will
also be pleasantly
surprised to note that the prices of spectacles are very
reasonable.
Cypriots enjoy a high standard of living -
one of the
highest in the area and the countryΥs main industry,
tourism, provides employment for a sizeable proportion
of the population throughout the year.
Tourism in Cyprus began to
play a significant role in the
general
economic development of the country after the island won its independence in 1960. A few years
later
the island became one of
the major tourist centres of the Mediterranean because of its geographical position,
natural
beauty, cultural heritage, and
its excellent tourist facilities. Now the island receives more than a
million and a half tourists
every year.
As an
agricultural country Cyprus bolsters her economy with
the significant production of potatoes, citrus,
fresh vegetables etc
while the importance of manufacturing
can be seen in the exportation of Cyprus clothing, footwear, wine and
foodstuffs.
Following the
lead of other Mediterranean countries. Cyprus was linked with the European Economic
Communlty
through an
Association Agreement which led to the recently signed Customs Union agreement. The agreement is the
first of
its
kind and provides for the gradual dismantling of customs barriers over a ten year period. |
