The Use of Events in the Developmnet of the Tourism Industry the Case of Cyprus

8/10/2019 The Use of Events in the Developmnet of the Tourism Industry the Case of Cyprus

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consequence it confronts decreases in tourist arriv-

als and revenues. Thus, the challenge of Cyprus is

to call extensive attention on developing alternative

ways for improving its tourism image. This will

help the island to cope with the changing tourism

demands, diminish tourism problems, and at thesame time maintain its economic growth in the short

term, as well as to improve them in the long term

and overall to act against the huge competitive mar-

ketplace. The strongest point is that the island rec-

ognizes the opportunities for providing differentiated

benefits to tourists and intensively works toward

developing and putting into practice the best suit-

able ways to achieve this, especially after its acces-

sion in the European Union, a factor that creates

more prospects for growth in an international level.Taking the above into consideration, the research

attempts to investigate the use of events in Cyprus

as a means for developing tourism in the island. In

this attempt, the research presents and synthesizes a

critical appraisal, concerning theories and concepts

towards events, provides definitions, discusses

concepts, outlines the types of events, and briefly

presents and discusses their impacts. All in all, the

research categorizes the main events that take place

in the island by region and period held and brieflyanalyzes the leading ones. Subsequently, it dis-

cusses various viewpoints from organizations and

tourists that apply to the use of events as a strategic

tool for tourism development in the area of Cyprus.

This particular subject has been chosen for the

reason that the use of events in relation to their

influence on developing tourism at a destination in

general, and mainly in Cyprus, was not passed

through any exclusive examination as a subdivi-

sion. This is not due to the fact that it was recentlydeveloped, but because its examination has recently

emerged. Events are increasingly becoming domi-

nant towards the formation of destination image, in

a local, regional, and national level (Getz, 2005);

thus, the examination of this topic allows several

organizations to become aware of the challenges

and potentials that exist in relation to the develop-

ment of events in the island.

Literature Review

Events: Definitions and Concepts

Historically, the industry of events was born dur-

ing the 1980s and 1990s when certain events shaped

the contemporary event industry. Since the 1990s,

businesses discovered the power of events in mar-

keting and their role as image-makers (Bowdin,

Allen, OToole, McDonnel, & Harris, 2006). In

addition, events were said to represent the cultural

characteristics of a destination, as well as have anessential contribution on the human experience

(Getz, 2005). Among others, these were the forces

that have challenged businesses to become more

focused on events, and by that time events were

being established more and more frequently (Allen,

OToole, McDonnell, & Harris, 2002). Similarly,

the link between events and tourism was formal-

ized in the 1980s when the term event tourism

emerged. As a definition, event tourism refers to

the systematic planning, development, and, mar-keting of festivals and special events, as tourist

attractions, catalysts and image builders (Getz &

Wicks, 1993, cited in Jago, Chalip, Brown, Mules,

& Ali, 2003, p. 3). Based on this, events have

become an important motivator for traveling and

one of the key players for tourism and consequently

for economic development, a factor that impelled

the event tourism industry to be developed into the

fastest growing segment within the tourism indus-

try (Backman, Uysal, & Sunshine, 1995, cited inJago et al., 2003, p. 4). Still, in the 21st century, and

on the basis of tourism development, it is being

assumed that destinations very quick discovered

the image-making power of events once more

(Bowdin et al., 2006). Based on this perception,

destinations keep organizing events, which are

being linked with strategies not only for tourism

developments, but also for cultural regeneration

(Jago et al., 2003). The most important issue is that,

despite the fact that nowadays events have changedin terms of scale, still destinations are challenging

to become more specialized in the organization and

hosting of special events, especially due to the eco-

nomic benefits that they bring (Lynch & Veal,,

1996, cited in Jago et al., 2003, p. 3).

Apart from the above, Mules and Faulkner

(1996, cited in Jago et al., 2003) believe that look-

ing only at the economic impacts that events can

generate just represents their short-term impacts.

On the contrary, as it is being supported, the long-

term focus of events should be on their capability

to raise awareness of the hosting destination for

future tourism visitation (Jago et al., 2003, p. 4).

Additionally, Lee, Taylor, Lee, and Lee (2005)


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EVENTS TO DEVELOP CYPRUS TOURISM INDUSTRY 205

support that events are also being examined as

tourism attractions. In agreement to the above,

Mossberg (2000) remarks that an event can be seen

as an attraction for tourists by itself, but still, in

contrast to attractions, events differ in time. As

Carey (1994, cited in Mossberg, 2000, p. 3)explains, while attractions are permanent, on the

contrary events occur more frequently. A further

issue it that, differently from attractions, the

strength of events is their ability to act against sea-

sonal variations (Ritchie & Beliveau, 1974, cited in

Mossberg, 2000, p. 2). Therefore, through the use

of events, destinations that face huge seasonality

problems get the advantage of maintaining tourist

arrivals during off-peak seasons.

Types of Events

Events are being grouped in different categories,

depending on their size, form, content, and unique-

ness and based on the purpose and expected out-

comes when being organized. To better explain and

understand this statement, initially according to

their size, events are being categorized in mega-

events, hallmark events, major events, and local

community events. Despite this, events are also

being classified based on their form or content,

where the most common types refer to festivals,

sport events, and MICE events (Allen et al., 2002).

Table 1 outlines and briefly explains the different

types of events.

Impacts of Events

Hall (1989, cited in Bowdin et al., 2006, p. 38)

refers to the most common levels of both positive

and negative impacts of events, including social andcultural, physical and environmental, political, tour-

ism and economic. These are illustrated in Table 2.

Also Mossberg (2000) distinguished the impacts

of events into an economic, tourism and commer-

cial, physical, sociocultural, psychological, and

political level. She also suggests that the active

players should intensively look at the impacts of

events in a general sphere, acknowledge the most

beneficial, take advantage of them, and at the same

time forecast possible negative impact so as to

avoid negative results and influences on the desti-

nations image.

The critical issue, in this case, is whether events

create and stimulate impacts in the long term. To

examine this query, Getz (1997, cited in Mossberg,

2000, p. 125) suggests that events may serve as

catalysts for:

improving material infrastructure, which after-

wards will give competitive advantages; providing significant facilities, which will create

opportunities for organizing further events after a

certain event;

creating awareness of the hosting country as an

attractive host of several events;

stimulating the development of existing organi-

zations and firms and the starting up of new ones;

creating awareness of the region as a dynamic

area and attract people and companies to settle in

the area.

Additionally, Lee et al. (2005), studying the

impacts of sport mega-events on destination image,

assumed that events directly attract significant

numbers of tourists and thus assist in generating

substantive tourism receipts. In addition to the

above, Getz (1997, cited in Mossberg, 2000, p. 30)

examined that while events are being exposed glob-

ally through media; simultaneously the publicity

value for the hosting destination is enormous.Furthermore, events have the power to challenge

the imagination and to explore possibilities (Bowdin

et al., 2006), as well as open up new strategies,

opportunities, and developments for countries,

especially those seeking to diversify their tourism

product offers (WTO, 2002). Thus, as is being sup-

ported, the significance of events is now being

acknowledged and more and more governments

support and promote events as part of their strate-

gies for both tourism and economic development(Bowdin et al., 2006).

On the contrary, events can also incur negative

effects. On the subject of this potential, it has been

stated that the larger and more high profile of

events the more potential there is for things to go

wrong and create negative impacts (Bowdin et al.,

2006, p. 40). This means that large-scale events are

difficult to be accurately planned and controlled, as

there are several issues and implication that need to

be considered and there is a large number of people

involved during their organization. These factors

then most probably result in bad publicity, unex-

pected outcomes, and in damaging the image of the

host destination. In the case of this situation,


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Bowdin et al. (2006) come to agree with Mossberg

(2000) by stating that active players should develop

such efforts for predicting the impacts that will

most probably generate negative outcomes and

balancing them for the most positive results. Thus,

in the organization of events effective management

is needed for destinations to not be exposed

unfavorably.

Table 1

Types of Events and Their Definition

Mega-events Mega-events are events that target the international tourism market and are mega based on the sizeof the attendance and the target markets that attract, the level of the public financing involvement,the extent of media coverage, the construction of facilities and the socioeconomic impacts thatgenerate to the host destination (Hall, 1992, cited in Allen et al., 2002, p. 12). It is obvious that

mega-events are the largest organized events that wholly encompass benefits on the hostingdestination, such as high levels of tourist arrivals, significant economic benefits, as well as theygreatly resound in the global media.

Hallmark events Hallmark events are major, one-time or recurring events of limited duration, developed primarily toenhance awareness, appeal and profitability of the tourism destination in the short or even the longterm (Ritchie, 1984, quoted in Allen et al., 2002, p. 13). Additionally, hallmark events are beingdefined in terms of their ability to provide competitive advantage for the host community, as theypossess tradition, attractiveness, image, and publicity (Getz, 2005, p.16). The most important factorabout hallmark events is that they become widely recognized based on the character of the placewhere are being held and thus they become synonymous with the name of the place. Finally, it isdeclared that their uniqueness, status or timely significance are factors that attract peoples attention(Bowdin et al., 2006).

Major events Major events are those that attract significant number of visitors, have power over media coverageand generate economic benefits (Allen et al., 2002). Sport events are more fitted in this categoryand they are of international significance, as they can attract visitors nationally or internationally,either through media or as spectators (Bowdin et al., 2006).

Local and communityevents

Based on Bowdin et al. (2006), local or community events consist of events organized by localcommunities and target mainly locals either for social, fun or entertainment purposes. As Janiskee(1996) adds, this type of events uses community services, products and employees and they are beingcontrolled either by government or non-governmental organizations (quoted in Allen et al., 2002, p.14). As Allen, et al (2002) indicate, the benefits generated to local communities, include prideencouragement and strengthen their feeling of belonging. Moreover, Bowdin et al. (2006) come toadd that the importance of local community is their ability to motivate locals develop new ideas andgain more experiences, as well as they support the local communitys cultural development.

Festivals Festivals are the most common forms of events that are used for cultural celebrations and the mostcommon types of festivals consist of art, music, and food and wine festivals. Festivals have becomea pervasive feature of cultural landscape and constitute a vital and growing component of the eventindustry (Allen et al., 2002). Getz (2005) is in agreement with this viewpoint, but he also notes thatstill festival have a strong linkage with the tradition and history of the hosting venue, despite the factthat the majority of them have been created in recent decades.

Sport events Sport events which have been developed since the ancient Olympic Games in Greece, are believed tobe the oldest human activity. Based on a statement, sport events have grown to be an important andgrowing part of the event industry, as they attract a large number of visitors and generate mediacoverage and economic impacts (Allen et al., 2002). Most importantly, sport events are believed tobe vital contributors in generating social, cultural and economic benefits towards the hosting commu-nity (Emery, 2002). All in all, it is assumed that the organization of sport events is the focus point ofmore and more local governments strategic decisions, which aim to create opportunities for newdimensions for both the community and new forms of tourism (Robertson, 2006).

MICE events MICE events, and more commonly business events are also long-established events within the eventindustry. The Department of Industry Tourism and Resources (1995, quoted in Allen et al., 2002, p.15) defines business events as all off-site gatherings, including conventions, congresses, confer-ences, seminars, workshops and symposiums, which bring together people for a common purpose, toshare information. Such type of events is significantly different from others, as it focuses onbusiness and trade issues, but still they are highly linked with the tourism sector.


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Events in Cyprus

It is remarkable to note that, among other organi-

zations and bearers for tourism development in

Cyprus, the Cyprus Tourism Organization (CTO) is

the foremost responsible for the promotion of the

island and its tourism product. Consequently, theorganization of events and at the same time their

promotion is also under its responsibility and con-

trol. Besides the CTO, the Ministry of Commerce

and Tourism, the Ministry of Education and

Culture, and several tourism organizations and

associations in cooperation with the private sector

are further active players in the formation and

implementation of tourism development strategies.

In this case the strategic plan aims to attract tourists

on an international level, by improving and enhanc-

ing current events or festivals, which will be pro-

moted internationally. In reference to the list of

events that are taking place in Cyprus, Table 3 pro-

vides an illustration of the more prominent events

by region and date(s), as published by the Cyprus

Tourism Organization (2007).

However, the leaders in scale and size types of

events in Cyprus in terms of attracting both interna-

tional and local tourists and a favorable budget and

sponsorship are categorized into sport and culturalevents, and conference and incentives.

Sport Events

Cyprus attracts many sport tourists as its natural

features allow a range of sport activities to be

undertaken (The Cyprus Guide, 2007a). Athletes

and sport teams from many Northern European

countries found Cyprus an ideal location for train-

ing. This is because of the islands excellent

weather conditionswhile other countries have

harsh winters, Cyprus has mild wintersand also

because of the natural beauty of the island that

provides an excellent training environment.

Furthermore, Cyprus already gained distinction as

Table 2

Impact of Events Based on Four Categories

Sphere of Event Positive Impacts Negative Impacts

Social and cultural Shared experience Community alienationRevitalizing traditions Negative community imageBuilding community pride Bad behavior Validation of community groups Substance abuseIncreased community participation Social dislocationIntroducing new and challenging ideas Loss of amenityExpanding cultural perspectivesManipulation of community

Physical and environmental Showcasing the environment Environmental damageProviding models for best practice Pollution

Increasing environmental awareness Destruction of heritageInfrastructure legacy Noise disturbanceImproved transport and communications Traffic congestionUrban transformation and renewal

Political International prestige Risk of event failureImproved profile Misallocation of fundsPromotion of investment Lack of accountabilitySocial cohesion PropagandizingDevelopment of administrative skills Loss of community ownership and control

Legitimation of ideology

Tourism and economic Destinational promotion and increased tourist visits Community resistance to tourismExtended length of stay Loss of authenticity

Higher yield Damage to reputationIncreased tax revenue ExploitationJob creation Inflated prices

Opportunity costsFinancial loss


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Table 3

Events in Cyprus as Organized in the Year of 2007

Events Regions Dates

Anthestiria Flowr Festivals In all regions All year roundClassical Musical Festival In all regions All year round

Cultural Summer Festivals In all regions All year roundCultural Winter Festival In all regions All year roundDance and Music Performances In all regions All year roundHorse Races Nicosia All year roundMusical Sundays In all regions All year roundPainting Exhibition In all regions All year roundPhotographic Exhibition In all regions All year roundTheater (in English) In all regions All year roundTraditional Fair Festivals In all regions All year roundWalks In all regions All year roundMotor Show Exhibition Nicosia January 31February 4Carnival Festivals In all regions February 818Kickboxing World Title 2007 Aphrodite Kick Nicosia February 10

Handball Mediterranean Youth Games Larnaca February 1725International Tourist Guides Day Nicosia February 21Green Monday Festivities In all regions February 19International Cycling Competition Afxentia In all regions March 24Ultra Sport Cyprus Marathon Paphos March 11Opera Limassol March 20233rd Grand Opening of Wild Festivals Limassol March 28Mosaic Exhibition Nicosia March 28April 35th Berengaria Music Festival Limassol March 2931Byzantine Days Larnaca April 45Drama Short Film Festival Limassol April 1011Irish Harp Music Larnaca April 122nd Cyprus International Film Festival Nicosia April 1322

2nd Cyprus Amateur Golf Open Tournament for Ladies Paphos April 14186th EuroFestival Herbs and Wild Flowers of Cyprus In all regions April 1421Troodos Car Rally Cyprus Troodos April 2022Child and Youth Exhibition Nicosia April 272932nd Cyprus International Fair Nicosia May 112010th European Dance Festival Limassol May 12Craft Fair Limassol May 13International Historic Car Rally Nicosia May 2527Kataklysmos Festival in all regions (a unique celebration, the festival of the Flood

coincides with Pendecost and is marked by festivities) In all regions May 25307th International Pharos Chamber Music Festival Nicosia May 29June 5Music Dances and Performances Larnaca June 113rd Childrens Festival Agia Napa June 3

Nautical environment and sports Troodos Junw 78Italian Week Larnaca June 816Paneuropean University Beach Volley Championship Paralimni June 1627Orchestrial Jazz Music Limassol June 21Shakespeare at Kourion Theater (in English) Limassol June 2224MTB Sunshine Cup-Mountain Bike Race Larnaca June 24278th Regional Cultural Week of Mountain Resorts Troodos June 23July 1Aphrodite Internation Motor Rally Larnaca June 2427Women Cup Mediterranean Swimming Championship Larnaca June 29July 1European Bowling Tournament Paphos June 29July 8Classical and Traditional Choir Songs Limassol June 30Amathusia Festival Limassol June 30July 1Ancient Greek Drama Larnaca July 4

2nd Ethnic Festival Limassol July 628Imperial Ice Stars Larnaca July 910Greek Music Concert Larnaca July 13Ancient Greek Comedy Larnaca July 18Koumandaria Festival Limassol July 2329


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a sporting venue in the run-up to the Athens

Olympics and also has been chosen to be used as a

training center for athletes that will participate at

the Olympics of Britain in 2012 (Travel and

Tourism News, 2007).These are the factors thatchallenge Cyprus to be used as a training center

(Cyprus Association for Culture and Special Interest

Tourism, 2007a). Additionally, Cyprus offers

activities all year around from water sport competi-

tions and skiing to golf and tennis competitions and

rally racings (The Cyprus Guide, 2007a).

Consequently, an additional sport event that

brings remarkable benefits in Cyprus is the Cyprus

Rally sport event. Cyprus organized the event first

time in 2006 and has been improved considerablyfor hosting the event again in 2007. The Cyprus

Rally Press officer (The Auto Channel, 2007) states

that the Cyprus Rally in 2006 attracted 54 million

audiences all over the world and a total of 327

hours of media coverageplacing the island third

among the sixteen rounds calendar.

What finally places Cyprus in the international

tourism scene in relation to sport events is the repu-

tation of an excellent tennis player, Markos

Pagdatis. He managed to create a connection

between himself and Cyprus to the eyes of foreign

countries at which he participated in tennis matches.

As Karrides (2007) supports, this connection

generated at the moment a more positive recogni-

tion for Cyprus than any of CTOs campaigns.

Cultural Events

Cyprus culture gives the island the challenge of

organizing thematic events and thus managing to

develop its tourism sector. As indicated, the

island so far has been synonymous with sun and

sea holidays, but now apposite organizations seek

to improve this image and develop its cultural

character as well as tap into the growing special

interest tourism markets (Opodo Travel News,

2007). In response to this attempt, the major and

most attractive of the cultural events that are tak-ing place in Cyprus are the Paphos Aphrodite

Festival, the Carnival Festival, and the Wine and

Commandria Festivals.

In reference, the Carnival Festival of Limassol is

a very old tradition, but over time it has acquired a

different entertaining character with an increasing

number of population following. The festival

includes several shows and folk dancing being

performed both by Cypriots and foreigners (The

Cyprus Guide, 2007b) and exposes the most of the

cultural characteristics of the island.

The greatest of the cultural festivals is the Paphos

Aphrodites Festival. The legend says that the

Events Regions Dates

Piano and Voice Recital Larnaca July 25International FIVB Cyprus Challenger Beach Voleey Tournament Paphos July 2529

11th Festival of Ancient Greek Drama In all regions JulyAugustFolk Art and Crafts Troodos August 35Sweets and Bakery Products Exhibition Troodos August 2526Limassol Wine Festival (famous annual festival at Municipal Gardens with local

foods, traditional music, dance and free wine) Limassol August 28September 9Paphos Aphrodite Festival Paphos August 31September 2Cyprus Rally 2007 Limassol September ISSF World Championship in Shotgun Nicosia September 110Tennis Tournament-Aphrodire Cup Nicosia September 39Authentic taste of rural Cyprus Paphos September 8Troodos thematic weekends (wine, dishes) Troodos September 15162nd Mediterranean Folklore Dance Larnaca September 1517Cyprus Skydiving Boogie and Cyprus Open Championships Larnaca September 1520

Pastelli Festival Limassol September 221st Big Vineyard Festival Limassol September 28October 1FIA Middle East Rally Championship-Round 6Cyprus Rally Limassol October 1214Cyprus Aphrodire Half Marathon Paphos November 25Christmas Festivities In all regions December

Table 3

Continued


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goddess of beauty and love, Aphrodite, was born

from the sea. Based on this, there are organized

routes that transfer people at the place of birth dur-

ing that time and the overall festival aims to show

how the goddess is being related to the island (The

Cyprus Guide, 2007c). Siepi, the General Coordi-nator for the Aphrodites event, supports that all

7,500 tickets are expected to be sold this year, com-

pared to some 1,000 that remained unsold last year

(Financial Mirror, 2007). Vergas noted that despite

the drop in tourist arrivals from Britain and

Germany, ticket sales have done well with the

Russian tourists and the Russian community of

Cyprus (Financial Mirror, 2007). Additionally,

while the event is taking place during the first week

of September when the holiday period in ending,still the Tourism Board supports that the benefits

are even greater. Finally, there are plans for trans-

forming the event with a new concept and naming

it Paphos Aphrodite Winter Festival and is

expected to take place in January or February in the

next few years. The renewed event will be within

the spirit of the present event but the aim is to pro-

mote tourism in the winter months as well

(Financial Mirror, 2007). Siepi comes to agree that

the new event will be the landmark tenth nextyear (Financial Mirror, 2007).

Apart from the above, part of the islands culture

is believed to be its wine production as the history

of wine making dates back to at least 2000 BC.

Also, with Cyprus being the home to the worlds

oldest continuously produced wine the known

Commandaria, it is then being instigated to orga-

nize such events that will promote this cultural

characteristic and abroad. The two foremost events

are the Wine Festival and the CommandariaFestival, which take place during September;

Commandaria is believed to be the most ancient

wine of Cyprus. These festivals attract more and

more tourists from abroad who are highly inter-

ested in wine production and tasting, during which

wine is being consumed in huge quantities (Cyprus

Hotel Association, 2007b).

Conference and Incentive Events

Cyprus has long been a preferable place for

meetings and incentives. Today Cyprus still

remains an ideal place for meetings. The Cyprus

International Conference Centre of the Cyprus

Fairs Authority and many hotels provide the

utmost sophistication needed for a most success-

ful conference (Cyprus Association for Culture

and Special Interest Tourism, 2007b). What it is

also being said for this sector is that, despite itssmall size, Cyprus being located at the crossroads

of three major continents has prompted business

travelers due to its unique world class hotels and

resorts and Mediterranean charm to organize a

range of meeting and conferences (Cyprus Hotel

Association, 2007a).

In addition, the CTO in the context of the strate-

gic plan has posted as priority the development

and promotion of conference tourism. Its actions

are to support the interest of international meetingsand offer an economic reinforcement for confer-

ences and meetings, aiming to attract more inter-

national meetings.

Special Interest Events

Another arising form of special interest tourism

in Cyprus is agrotourism. Its natural landscape

allows visitors to travel inland and enjoy the range

of sightseeing and activities that are available. It is

noticeable that most of the villages that offer agro-

tourism facilities and services are located near

vineyards (Cyprus Hotel Association, 2007b). In

this way the island tries to combine many different

interests and give the visitor more choices for a

whole package of experiences. Thus, local commu-

nities organize a series of small events on a month

or yearly bases to attract more tourists inland.

Finally, Cyprus is being chosen for wedding cer-

emonies mainly from many European countries.Many tourist agencies and tour operations advertise

Cyprus as an ideal destination for wedding and

honeymoon tourism, again due to the natural

beauty. Thus, during the summer most of the

coastal hotels provide special packages for wed-

dings (Cyprus Hotel Association, 2007c).

Method

The research comprised a multimethod strategy,

based on which both qualitative and quantitative

data were collected. This process provides a sys-

tematic research approach that assists in the collec-

tion of relevant data and presents a more detailed


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and intensive description of the subject (Saunders,

Lewis, & Thornhill, 2003).

For the completion of the research it is desirable

to use both secondary and primary data. For the

secondary data collection method, the research

developed a theoretical framework by reviewingpast and current literature. The secondary data

research is helpful in creating an overall back-

ground of the related to the topic issues and theories

and in consolidating concepts before proceeding to

the primary research process. As a result, the con-

tent consists of validated books, research papers,

articles, academic publications, and the Internet.

The primary data collection method consisted of

a multistage approach, which included both per-

sonal interviews and questionnaires. The purposefor choosing these primary research techniques is

to get a better representative sample and have more

accurate results, but also to meet successfully the

research aims and objectives (Saunders et al.,

2003). As a result, 12 open-ended interviews were

expected to be completed from both governmental

and nongovernmental tourism organizations, as

well as from private companies, from which only

seven were accomplished. Interviews are a helpful

research technique, through which there is a directcontact with the potential participant, a factor that

gives direct answers to research questions (Robson,

1993, cited in Bell, 2002, p. 23). The potential par-

ticipants were chosen based on their involvement

not only in tourism practices but also in the organi-

zation of several events and due to their profes-

sional education and experience in relation to

aspects of tourism. They were expected to provide

adequate and useful primary data and help the

research to get a more dynamic picture of the tour-ism development in Cyprus and gather valuable

and valid information regarding the use of events as

a means for developing tourism in Cyprus.

Table 4 provides those organizations that were

expected to take part in this survey research, by

providing the position of the interviewees and the

word Interviewee instead of their names, in order

to protect their anonymity and confidentiality. The

actual interviewees are shown in bold.

Apart from the interviews, a questionnaire was

designed with both descriptive and exploratory ele-

ments, which was distributed at random (there were

not any special criteria for choosing the potential

participants) to a sample size of 25 tourists that

were participating in different events in Cyprus.

although the research was expected to accomplish

a representative sample of 50 questionnaires.

Through these questionnaires the research obtained

additional viewpoints for the use of events, despitethose of the organizers, and a more precise and

direct picture of the investigated subject. Sometimes

it is more effective to ask those people who actually

experience the events to obtain a more subjective

opinion about their strengths and limitations.

It should be noted that while there is a vast

majority of information collected, the research

concentrates only on the points that are believed to

be the most crucial for the investigated subject.

Most of the analysis and discussion is being mademostly in composition with empirical researches

and findings, so as to observe the extent to which

the primary data confirms or detracts any theoreti-

cal framework. For the analysis, the research dis-

tinguishes the data collected based on the nature of

the researchs questions and bring together the rel-

evant viewpoints.

Results, Analysis, and Discussion

Tourism Development in Cyprus

First, the primary research gives an illustration

of the overall development of tourism in the island.

More specifically, tourism organizations as well as

tourists express their own perspectives regarding

the current issues of the tourism development

in Cyprus.

There is an agreement on the fact that the island

managed to develop certain areas that previously

were unexploited and, more importantly, theseinvestments remained. Cyprus is believed to be the

most highlighted summer destination. Based on the

overall positive stances, Cyprus is referred to as a

Sun and Sea destination, with several cultural

characteristics, which also boosts a reputation as a

business center. It is a magical island in a small

geographical area, being characterized by good

weather conditions, hospitality, beautiful beaches,

and mountain areas, a place where visitors can

experience a variety of various activities. Most out-

standing, there are perspectives that the island hosts

a long-lasting history, which is also being taught

and abroad, and this is what was supported to be the


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element that makes the island internationally

known. Some others supported that Cyprus, aside

from holiday tourists, also attracts leisure, confer-

ence, and sport tourism, and that agrotourism has

become popular nowadays, a factor that raises

potentials for further developments. In response to

current plans for further developments, there was a

declaration on the development of golf courses and

marinas, two factors that improve the image of

Cyprus in terms of the diversified services that it isable to offer to tourists. Further to these, Cyprus is

in the pipeline of creating a big conference center,

which is considered to be a huge investment for the

further development of tourism in the island.

Finally, regarding developments in Cyprus, in the

last decade significant developments occurred in

terms of special interest tourism; it was also

remarked that various municipalities are develop-

ing their own halls of limited capacity, where vari-

ous events are taking place.To support the above and compared to the tour-

ists viewpoint, it is obvious that there are develop-

ments in Cyprus. This is shown by the fact that

more than half of the tourists (67%) are repeat visi-

tors in the island, whereas 33% visited are first-

time visitors. Another consideration is related to

the motivation of tourists to visit the island. As

shown in Figure 1, the majority of tourists come to

Cyprus for holidays and leisure (64%), but it is

remarkable that 28% come for business and a smallnumber of tourists have a special interest motiva-

tion (4%). It is obvious (Fig. 1) that while there

are some developments in tourism in Cyprus the

number of tourists attracted is still minimum in the

cases business and special interest. As a conclusion

to this issue, more efforts are needed so as to

develop these sectors and thus attract more tourists.

In contrast, there were those few who presented

a negative viewpoint as far as tourism development

of Cyprus is concerned, as they exposed several

problems that prevent the island from being further

developed; some agreed that Cyprus is facing a

deteriorating trend in terms of arrivals and revenuegenerated. In relation to this statement, participants

grounded this failure in further problems, referring

to the lack of appropriate infrastructure and trans-

portation services as well as to the disorganization

of the airports. In reference to the infrastructure, all

expect one who expressed an absolutely positive

sight concerning this issue declared that despite the

available infrastructure and resources for hosting

events, either this is not being exploited or more

efforts are needed for the infrastructure to beimproved. As it was specified by some, there are no

big music halls, convention and multipurpose ven-

ues available to host mega-event organizations. So

it appears that the infrastructure exists, but is not

appropriate for big projects. Finally, others revealed

that the island falls short in many points, mainly

because of the invasion and the Turkish domination

as well as due to the fact that it is considered to be

a relatively expensive destination. As declared, the

costs for tourists to stay in the island are significant,a factor that motivates tourists to visit cheaper

destinations that eventually become the major

competitors of the island. However, the most

Table 4

Interviewees Sample

Organizations Position Interviewee

SCS Limited Managing Director AGalaxias Productions Director of Operations B

Cyprus Tourism Organization Assistant Tourist Officer CPrice Water House Coopers Advisory of the Hospitality and Leisure Department DCyprus Automobile Association General Manager ECyprus Association of Culture and Special Interest Tourism Executive Secretary FCyprus Hotel Association General Manager GMinistry of Commerce and Tourism Director of the Department of Tourism HMinistry of Education and Culture Director of the Department of Culture IAssociation of Cyprus Tourism Enterprises General Manager JCyprus Sport Organization Assistant Director K Premier DMC Assistant Director L


11/19


constructive observation is that the problems are

being acknowledged, but there were only some rec-

ommendations for reformation and make up. This

is the challenge of coordinators to pay greater

attention to the negative aspects of tourism in

Cyprus that influence its future developments andstrengthening their skills in terms of coming across

with valuable solutions.

Additionally, and based on the tourists who par-

ticipated in an event, the results shown that most of

event spectators characterized Cyprus as an expen-

sive destination, also noting some negative approach

about transportation services. As oppose to these,

the majority of them viewed Cyprus as a preferable

sun and sea destination, appropriate for relaxation

and with favorable weather conditions, all confirm-ing the interviewees standpoint. Additionally, a

minimum number of tourist respondents supported

that Cyprus is an ideal destination for businesses

and clubbing, factors that are new to the so far

research approach.

At this point the research assumes that even if

there are significant developments, it may be uncer-

tain whether these will be efficient. Since there is

not so far any reference on the use of events as a

means for developing tourism in Cyprus, it isrecommended that all current developments and

projects should be constantly evaluated to ensure

that they completely generate positive outcomes.

Apart from this, the primary research concluded

that intensive work and significant improvements

are needed in terms of accessibility and transporta-

tion services for Cyprus to exploit and use its exist-ing infrastructure, which is an opportunity that the

island should not miss. In general, it is suggested

that efforts on an overall development basis are

needed, for potentials to be increased. Finally, it is

specifically recommended that motivations should

be given to entrepreneurs to develop their own

tourist products; tourism organizations should

become more responsible and interested in making

valuable investment and creating action plans to

expand Cyprus tourism product.

The Importance of Events

The results from the primary research showed a

positive attitude towards the importance of events.

More particularly, there was a common notion that

events bring about favorable publicity through pro-

motion and media. The power of these events is

their capability to put destinations under the spot-

light, highlight their powerful characteristics, andat the same time to recognize and emerge the

Figure 1. Reasons for visiting Cyprus.


12/19

214 AVGOUSTI

invisible. As an example given for Cyprus, the

island boasts amazing gastronomic enjoyments, but

there are no efforts to make them known; thus,

there is not any interest in participation. However,

gastronomic events can play a great role to the

development of tourism in the island, and in gen-eral any type of such specific events contributes in

the growth of alternative tourism. Another exam-

ple is that of the Cyprus Rally, which, through its

advertising, simultaneously the island is being pro-

moted worldwide. The above perception comes to

confirm the statement of Getz (1997, cited in Jago

et al. (2003)) who examined that the publicity

value is enormous to the hosting destination (p.

30). Also tourists visiting Cyprus came to certify

the above, as a respective number of responses(44%) stated that they were informed about the par-

ticipating event mainly through advertising and

media and to a less extent through the Internet and

other direct forms of promotion (Fig. 2).

Further viewpoints support that events are part of

the islands infrastructure in the sense that if desti-

nations develop venues to host different types of

events, they can be used as an infrastructure for fur-

ther purposes when needed, both by visitors and

locals. A classical example mentioned is the case ofGreece and the Olympic Games, where the infra-

structure is now being used for additional purposes.

This is another factor that demonstrates the impor-

tant contribution of events in the further and long-

term development of the hosting country.

The most impressive response was that events are

unique in the means that cover aspects of culture,

and they have as their foundation the islands civili-

zation; events are real representation of the tradi-tion of Cyprus (Interviewee C). This finally comes

to certify Getzs (2005) investigation that events

represent the cultural characteristics of a destina-

tion. As most of the existing events in Cyprus have

a cultural character, it is appealing that they will cre-

ate an image of culture, tradition, and civilization.

It appears from the responses that the organiza-

tion of events in Cyprus assists the problem of sea-

sonality. Cyprus is being characterized by strong

seasonality problems that inactivate the infrastruc-ture, especially during off-peak season; thus, events

increase the islands tourist dividend during peak

seasons and most importantly they deal success-

fully with the problem of seasonality as there are a

lot of events taking place during the winter months

(Table 2). Ritchie and Beliveau (1974, cited in

Mossberg, 2000) declared that the strength of

events is their ability to level out seasonal varia-

tions in the demand (p. 2).

Finally, and based on the results, the strength ofthe events in Cyprus is that they open the eyes of

more tourists. As discussed, several artists who

visit the island are becoming aware of its existence

Figure 2. Source of information for the participated event.


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and thus contribute in repeat visitation; likewise

with the notion that events assist the hosting desti-

nation in terms of remaining competitive and acting

against the huge competitive marketplace. Lastly,

the importance of events was proved by actual facts

and data, with reference to the Cyprus Rally, anevent that generates income almost 10 million

Cyprus Pounds each year (Interviewee E).

In a different way, there was an assumption that

the importance of events depends on two elements:

the extent to which events are being supported and

their linkage with the general picture of the place

are considerable implications. The notion behind

this is that investment and support by the govern-

ment are crucial for a destination to be able to

develop appropriate infrastructure that will beobtainable not only by the tourists, but also by the

locals when needed. On the other side, despite the

fact that some events are specialized, like gastro-

nomic, wine routes, and sport events, they need to

be fitted within the existing image of the place. In

this way, such additional events with diverse char-

acter can help the overall tourism development and

can set off the existing image of the island.

It is remarkable the fact that the results signify

some uncertainty about the importance of Cyprusto host events. Since there was no further justifica-

tion, the research takes the opportunity to link up

these issues with the several problems that had

been highlighted and that diminish the importance

of events in developing tourism in Cyprus. Such

problems include economies of scale, meaning that

it is limited in space in all means. Also, despite the

reputation of certain events, the island is short on

large-scale events, which certainly have more ben-

efits to offer.Also, another significant problem is the fact that

Cyprus major competitor is the area of Cyprus that

is being occupied by Turkish invaders. As men-

tioned, they are doing extremely progress on

infrastructure and manage to attract more tourists

(Interviewee D). This is a point where further polit-

ical issues are coming to the surface, on which the

research does not wish to make any particular refer-

ence or explanation.

Apart from the problems, there are also uncer-

tainties raised of whether Cyprus manages to com-

municate strategies effectively. As it is believed, it

is not certain if the organization of specific types of

events can be efficient contributors to resolve the

existing tourism problem and recover the decreas-

ing numbers of tourist arrivals, giving the example

of the attempt to develop casinos in Cyprus. The

actual saying was do we want to attract the gam-

bler tourist? (Interviewee D). The issue is thatevents by themselves cannot be effective in terms

of developing tourism at a destination. This comes

to agree with the notion that events should have a

strong linkage with the overall image of the desti-

nation, supported by both some respondents and

empirical studies. In this case representative and

key players should make clear what forms of tour-

ism the island seeks to attract to then be able and

develop effective and clear strategic plans.

At last, motionless potentials for further devel-opments exist in relation to this sector. As it was

suggested, if effective and precise planning for fur-

ther development and improvements will be taken

in action, then events can be more attractive to an

increased number of tourists, as unique events cre-

ate unique image. In agreement to this, events con-

stitute a significant contribution in enhancing the

image that the destination wishes to create. How-

ever, apposite organizations do not clearly indicate

the direction required for the tourism product ofCyprus to follow and there are no clear aims of

what is needed to be done. To add value to the

above perceptions, the research contacted a number

of spectators from different events, aiming to get a

more direct and subjective opinion about the use of

events as key contributors to the development of

tourism in the island. In particular, 92% of the

respondents supported that events contribute to the

development of tourism in the island, whereas only

8% expressed a different point of view. As beingspecified, if the island is able to organize events in

an effective way, then these will contribute to a

worldwide publicity and advertising, attract more

tourists, and in general there are possibilities of fur-

ther developments in the tourism services of

Cyprus. In contrast, those with the negative notion

assumed that events taking place in Cyprus are

small in scale and size and that their background is

not appealing to people.

Despite all of the above, the active players should

intensively look at the impacts of events in a general

sphere, acknowledge the most beneficial, and

take advantage of them and at the same time


14/19

216 AVGOUSTI

forecast possible negative impacts to avoid nega-

tive results and influences on the destinations

image (Mossberg, 2000).

Events in Cyprus

From the results it was revealed that there are

numerous types of events, from microscale to

mega-style events. In brief, events address the

interest primarily of leisure, sport, conference, reli-

gious, special interest, and medical tourism.

However, greater emphasis was being given to

those events that have cultural character, as this

was initially the reason beyond their organization.

Cultural events demonstrate the spread and depth

of the islands culture and history as well as its cus-toms; they familiarize visitors and tourists with this

rich and unique culture and history of Cyprus and

add value to the experience gained from the desti-

nation. Also cultural events motivate more domes-

tic tourists to become aware of their countrys

character. The greatest issue is that each type of

event keeps the spectrum that Cyprus can offer and

it collectively projects its deep, rich, and strong his-

tory, culture, and character. Such cultural events

include concerts, operas, ballets, contemporarydances, theaters and musicals, and community fes-

tivals. Examples of cultural events are referred to

the Wine Festival and the Paphos Aphrodites

Festival, which,based on their size and purpose, are

the most highlighted and attractive cultural events

in Cyprus.

Comparing the above with the tourists point of

view regarding the most well-known events that

take place in Cyprus, at first the majority responded

that they are not aware of the events that take placein Cyprus (64%) with the justification that there is

lack of promotion internationally. The remaining

percentage consists of those who showed a posi-

tive attitude towards this issue, revealing mostly

sport and cultural events as well as concerts, opera,

Jazz and ethnic festivals, and theatrical perfor-

mances. Also some specified that the most familiar

events to them include the Wine Festival and the

Aphrodite Festival.

Apart from mentioning the events and their con-

cept as being applied in the case of Cyprus, there is

also reference to the overall subject of events that

take place in the island. To further the discussion,

some supported that the main reason for organizing

events is mainly for developing and improving the

islands tourism industry. Beyond this reason, addi-

tional motives include the opportunity given to

locals to enrich their experiences and knowledge

with the customs, traditions, and the cultural char-acteristics of their country. However, as mentioned,

the use of events aims to attract the interest of

domestic tourists, who most probably ignore the

existence of several events.

In another point of view, events are being seen as

supplements in means of motivating more tourists

to visit the island and not only those arriving for

Sun and Sea holidays. As stated, this model that

represents the island eliminates the possibility to

exploit its amazing beauty and available resources.It was strongly supported that it is not enough to

promote the island by using the traditional Sun

and Sea model. Besides, the Mediterranean Sea is

full of beautiful beaches, so tourists can visit any

other destination that also offers the same tourist

product. In this case events come to upgrade the

tourist product of Cyprus and at the same time

overcome the expectation of tourists by providing a

whole package of experiences.

In a different viewpoint, there was a notion thatthe influence of events to attract the interest of tour-

ists to visit Cyprus is highly dependent on the size

and type of the events, the type of tourists that the

destination wishes to attract, as well as the efforts

given to during their organization. Thus, big in

scale and theme events, which are favored by suf-

ficient media coverage, can be seen as great con-

tributors to the awareness of a destinations image

and motivation of more tourists to visit the hosting

destination. In contrast, small in scale and commonevents may be of less importance and thus attract

less numbers of spectators. Also, if an event taking

place in Cyprus has been granted in peoples mind,

then positively they will choose to visit the island.

This is an important factor, as the tourism industry

is increasingly becoming more competitive. Accord-

ingly, as destinations organize similar events then

there are many choices being given to tourists, and

then this eliminates the chances of Cyprus to be

visited. Still there is the need for careful efforts and

strategies for development to be planned, despite

the existing developments and progresses of the

island in all forms of tourism.


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Impacts of Events in Cyprus

Looking at the impacts that events generate in

the case of Cyprus, the results had shown that they

could have been greater in the case of Cyprus,

referring to issues of visibility, finance, andemployment opportunities. Additional to their

impacts, events attract more tourists in the island,

as costs are shorter for attending an event than in

any other country, a factor that tourists see as a bar-

gain that files a further incentive to visit the island.

In a different viewpoint, a benefit mentioned was

that events strengthen and enrich the existing tour-

ism product of the island. As asserted, the eco-

nomic development of new, unexploited areas as

well as of the living conditions of new social groupsare some further benefits. It is certain that several

events give possibilities to new areas to be

exploited, only if tourism organizations acknowl-

edge the strongest of the islands characteristics.

One of these is the production of qualified wine

that is determined by the islands geographical loca-

tion. There was also a perception that customizing

tourism collectivity (Interviewee D) is a great con-

sideration as Cyprus needs to attract quality tour-

ism. As supported, such a factor will first contributeto the generation of the expected benefits and prof-

its that the islands needs to achieve.

Based on the results, a further benefit that events

bring in Cyprus is that the island can be promoted

and attract people who did not know its existence

before. Thus, as the aforementioned events are

unique, so they contribute in creating a unique

image. The issue, as suggested, is for some improve-

ments to take place on a national scale, in terms of

achieving the promotion of a destination to theinternational scene. The greatest consideration

given is that, while there are opportunities for alter-

native forms of tourism to be developed though

events, still Cyprus does not achieve this effec-

tively, because of insufficient promotional efforts

mainly on an international level and due to inaccu-

rate planning and control.

Despite the above, events also benefit the devel-

opment of the island in means that mostly generate

economic outcomes. Events can be used for creat-

ing more efforts for developments, as well as to

give the opportunity to locals to get involvement in

the activities that take place in Cyprus. In an overall

to the impacts that events generate in the develop-

ment of tourism in Cyprus, there was a strong

believe that they are none other than positive with

the justification that they attract more tourist arriv-

als and their organization make them more commit-

ted and emotionally attached with the rich cultureand history of the island.

On the opposite side, there was some reference

to the negative impacts that events generate in

Cyprus. As Cyprus faces problems regarding issues

of economies of scale, lack of appropriate infra-

structure, inefficiency in the development and

organization of events, it is certain that for these

reasons events can bring negative outcomes. Also

another weak point is that Cyprus grounds the orga-

nization and image of the events on wrong factors.In this case events are being organized in an attempt

to satisfy the requirements of and the way of leav-

ing of foreigners. This is an element that brings

totally new dimensions to the overall investigation,

as so far all suggestions have been made on the

need to link events with the actual character of the

island. As was being recommended on this issue,

Cyprus needs to recall new foundations and make a

combination of the islands traditions with the new

arising trends, tendencies, and tourist requirements.In this way the island will be able and maintain its

traditional elements and institutions, rather than

destroying its unique character.

In addition to this discussion, another negative

issue revealed was the fact that Cyprus boasts an

image as a Sun and Sea destination. The attempt

of developing a new strategy for organizing events

does not certify that its image will be improved. At

this point tourism organizations should take respon-

sibility to research and decide whether the use ofevents can add value to this image to ultimately

contribute to the creation of a multidimensioned

image for Cyprus. Eventually this is an issue that

some interviewees discussed; they strongly sup-

ported that tourism organizations and authorities do

not develop effective strategies for the use of events

in Cyprus and this is the reason that events are not

able to develop tourism in the island. For instance,

in terms of competition they tend to look at what

other destinations do to make use of their elements.

This is, as stated, an ineffective means of develop-

ment, because it is not rational to compare unequal

situations and destinations. For example, Greece is


16/19

218 AVGOUSTI

being seen as the major competitor of Cyprus, but

initially they differ in size, population, and, most

importantly, they differ in available resources. Also

the island cannot compete with major destinations,

due to the limited choices that it offers and most

importantly due the unique image that the islandshaped. This is the point where events and alterna-

tive tourism, if used effectively, will become sig-

nificant contributors to the reproducing and

flourishing of those limited choices.

In response to the aforementioned elements, the

research examined also the current facts and out-

comes generated by events in Cyprus in relation to

its tourism development. The results show that only

some events managed to develop Cyprus as a popu-

lar destination for the reason that events on theirown cannot achieve this, since an image formation

depends also on other factors. There are a lot oppor-

tunities for Cyprus to achieve more developments

and thus become more popular and attractive if

there is more organization and if apposite authori-

ties take on their responsibilities in terms of recall-

ing lost ground. On the other side, several events

achieved to attract repeat visitors taking into con-

sideration that most of the events were recently cre-

ated or renewed; of course, Cyprus became a morepopular destination. To confirm this, with reference

to a particular event, the Paphos Aphrodite Festival

is one the few that noted great recognition abroad

and this is obvious from the increase of the visitors

every year (Interviewee F). In addition to this

statement the interviewee wished that Cyprus could

have created and organized more of these kinds

of events to upgrade its popularity. All in all,

Interviewee G deemed that the organization and

execution of successful events provide the opportu-nity for more tourists to appreciate what Cyprus has

to offer and through this definitely the popularity of

Cyprus is found.

In argument to the above, negative perspectives

about the extent to which Cyprus has been devel-

oped through events are expressed. The reason

beyond this notion is that events are contemporary;

still there is an agreement that more developments

are needed. As it is being recommended, events

should be linked with the islands tradition with

modernity, to act against the recent changes and

trends of tourists demand.

It is apparent that the above perceptions are not

being shown within the theoretical framework, as

the research paid greater focus on presenting the

advantage and importance of events rather than

examining literature related to their disadvantages

and insignificance.The issue, on which all participants agree, is that

there is the need for efforts to be created, by appo-

site tourism organizations. This is a factor that also

agrees with Jago et al. (2003), who supported that

the key and most necessary bases for building

events to effectively contribute in the creation of a

destinations image include the communities sup-

port, a good strategic and cultural fit of the event to

the host destination.

Events: A Means for Developing Tourism

in Cyprus

In a more specific way, the research examines

the actual facts regarding the use of events as a

means for developing tourism in Cyprus. The

results boast a relatively negative viewpoint as

most argued whether events are a mean through

which tourism can be further developed in Cyprus.

To communicate this, participants supported thatCyprus must enrich its existing image by providing

alternative services and availability of further

activities to become more competitive. Thus, there

is the need for events to be used as supplement to

the overall tourist product. Another perspective on

this issue is that events are additional strategic

tools, as Cyprus has been provided with qualitative

characteristics that can be used in order to be devel-

oped. Adding to the above there is a notion that

events can be used in combination with otherefforts, resources, facilities, and services to gener-

ate more benefits, as well as others supported that

actions need to be planned carefully and with the

cooperation of all tourism organizations. The gen-

eral point is the events do influence the tourism

development of a destination, but this is a factor

that is not applicable in Cyprus. Events do contrib-

ute to the development of a destination but do not

benefit the island in terms of its image on their

own. Despite some improvements, still Cyprus

does not communicate its efforts effectively and

this is in agreement with previous mentioned


17/19


responses. Adding to that, others consider that the

uniqueness of the island is gone. This is where again

strategic plans are needed in order to bring back and

promote Cyprus unique tradition and culture.

Based on the above results, the research comes to

comment that while the influence that an event willhave on the tourism development of a destination

depends on the demand of the tourist in certain

aspects, then it is crucial for destinations to influ-

ence and raise this demand, through promotional

efforts and clear strategic plans.

Further Developments

In relation to the potentials for further event

developments in Cyprus, the main obstacles indeveloping event tourism in Cyprus and the efforts

that need to be taken in action for such develop-

ment, the results show a positive prospect; yet par-

ticipants acknowledged that no effective actions

plans exist. Cyprus should take into consideration

the negative aspects of the situation and acknowl-

edge the problems and obstacles to be able and deal

with them. Also it needs to identify its strengths

and then work to improve them. There is also the

belief that these problems are being created fromignorance and lack of interest and they can be con-

trol by putting much more effort toward develop-

ment. There is not a clear indication of what is

needed to be achieved and this results in decreased

tourism performance. Contribution is needed from

the government to offer funds also to private com-

panies and help them more with publicity, an issue

that also comes in agreement with Interviewee B.

So significant changes are needed; there is the need

for decreasing costs and finally more response inneeded by the government.

There is a specification that organizations, groups

of people, and bearers that have different character-

istics, beliefs, and expectations need to be coordi-

nated. It is certainly difficult to agree on and

communicate effectively our needs, wants, and

expectations and to find a common solution, but it

still possible to achieve. Firstly a common strategy

is needed to be developed and secondly an action

plan that will be clear, something that is of great

importance, and also to be bondable and agreeable

from all the responsible tourism parties and bearers.

Synoptically potentials for further developments

exist, as soon as appropriate strategies and actions

take place. Despite the current actions undertaken,

which include the creation of the association that

deals with special interest tourism and the process

of developing the appropriate venues in order toenrich the spectrum of events in Cyprus, for better

outcomes more efforts are still needed.

Conclusions and Recommendations

The researchs aim is to investigate the use of

events as a means for developing tourism in the

case of Cyprus. As seen from the theoretical frame-

work, events are strongly believed to be key con-

tributors in developing destinations where they arebeing held. However, this is not applicable in some

cases as there are other implications beyond the

influences of events on developing tourism at a

destination. For the purpose of the investigated

subject, the extent to which events contribute to the

development of tourism in Cyprus is limited. In this

case events can only be seen as supplements to the

overall tourism product of the island and to be used

as a tool for enriching and strengthening of its

image. As emerged, while some events have widepopularity and are known to a respective number of

tourists, still they lack of further promotional

efforts, a factor that does not allow them to be

developed further. In this case, the involvement of

tourism organizations was found to be essential

and, as was being suggested both in the literature

and from interviewees viewpoints, they should

take into consideration the meaningfulness of and

effect that tourism development can have to the

islands image, become more sensitive, recognizethe negatives of the situation, and become normal

players for improving the tourism industry of the

island. As shown from the research, in all probabil-

ity active tourism players do not recognize the

importance of developing tourism in Cyprus. All in

all, efforts and strategies are in the hands not only

of the involved and responsible organizations, but

also efforts and support are needed from the com-

munity and the development of a good strategic

plan is vital (Jago et al., 2003, p. 3).

On the other side, there are current strategic

plans that are under activation and are expected to


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Documents

The Use of Events in the Developmnet of the Tourism Industry the Case of Cyprus