CHAPTER 1

INTRODUCTION

The aim of this thesis is to identify the need for the improvement of Cyprus tourist

products. For the achievement of the aim, the objectives of this study are:

• To ascertain whether Cyprus has the potential and necessary characteristics to

attract tourism market.

• To identify the need for differentiation for the tourist product that Cyprus offers

• To identify the necessity to raise the tourist products quality and develop special

interest tourism

Cyprus is a well-known tourist destination in the eastern Mediterranean at the

crossroads of three continents, Europe, Asia, and Africa. It attracts hundreds of thousands

of tourists every year.

Today, tourism is the largest industry in the world, in particular, to small islands or

countries like Cyprus that sustain large percentages of their national economy on this

industry. Table 1 shows tourism industry sector contributes almost the half of the total

economy in Cyprus.

Figure 1 Distribution of income

6%

46% 24%
Agriculture
Financial
Construction
Tourism

24%

Source: CTO
1
 With the strong support of the Cyprus Tourism Organization (CTO) and

Government by means of incentives, the tourist industry in Cyprus has gradually

developed to the pillar sector of the economy. The following table (table 2) shows that

Cross Receipts of tourism from 1991 to 2001 increased 3 times.

Figure 2

Cross Receipts from Tourism 1991-2001

1400
1200
1000
800
CYP

600
400
200
0
1990 1992 1994 1996 1998 2000 2002
Years

Source: CTO

However, the decrease of the tourist’s arrivals by the month September in the year

2002 is over 10% compared with the year 2001. From external environment, the terrorist

attacks on the 11th of September 2001 shook the entire global tourism industry. Cyprus

tourism is impacted indirectly. In addition, the situation in the Mid-East is in turmoil,

which also can be a factor that affects people’s choice to their vacation destination.

However, we cannot ignore the internal factor that is low quality tourist products.

Cyprus tourist products have to confront accumulated problems and weaknesses, such as

one-dimensional and standardized tourism development, the abuse of the natural

2
environment and the erosion of the island’s cultural identity, cases of antisocial behavior,

high operational costs, intense completion, seasonality, etc.

Cyprus, carrying an experience in tourism of over 30 years, is called upon to utilize

the knowledge of the past and within the framework of ongoing changes and new

developments to map out a new route for Cyprus tourism toward the 21st century.

The Structure of the Thesis

This study consists of five chapters:

• Chapter one is the introduction that sets the topic of the thesis, declares the aim and

objectives.

• Chapter two provides a critical account of the theoretical structure of the framework

in which the research has been done.

• Chapter three examines the key research aspects involved in this study.

• Chapter four sets out the findings of this study.

• Chapter five presents some recommendations and draws conclusions from the

information collected.

3
 CHAPTER 2

LITERATURE REVIEW

Literature review is a summary of past research that is related to the main concept of

this thesis. In this part, a detailed literature review will be presented. We researched many

books, reports, periodicals, and researches related to the hypothesis of the project and

selected carefully several articles based on which our research will be done. The

following are these articles:

 “Definition of Tourism” (Glafkos A. Anastassiou “Sports Tourism in Island

Microstates” 2001)

 “Lack of Distinctiveness---Image” (CTO. Development of a Ling Term

Strategy for Cyprus Tourism—Final Report)

 “Transportation” (Copper, Fletcher, Gilbert, Shepherd, and Wanhill.

“Tourism Principles and practice”)

Tourism is often difficult to be defined, because it is a complex concept. And it is

often defined by one perspective rather than an array of viewpoints. In the article

‘Definition of Tourism’, it is said that Tourism is often defined in terms of a travel

experience rather than by the nature of the activity of tourism itself’. Here, “travel

experience’ is emphasized in terms of tourism. It is necessary to consider a tourist as a

consumer. For a consumer, visiting a destination is an experience. Once he or she decides

to visit a destination, that means he or she buys a product that is intangible. The quality of

such a product becomes very important. It will directly influence the satisfaction degree

of a consumer’s experience.

4
 The intangible product we mentioned here is the tourism product, which can be

defined as the resource and creative facilities of a destination combined to produce an

amalgam of activities and functions. Tourism products are delivered to tourists through

the sensations of sight, sound, smell, taste and touch. When tourists come to Cyprus, they

will experience the different sensations, which will form perceptions of tourists. By these

perceptions, tourists can judge if their expectations are met. If they are satisfied with the

product that they bought, they will possibly buy it again and again; in that case, repeat

visits or business will occur. How to make a tourist satisfied? Improving the quality of

tourism products become very important.

The article ‘Lack of Distinctiveness-Image’, it is pointed out ‘with respect to

developing distinctiveness in the Cyprus product we believe that history and culture

provide the means by which a clear and separate identity can be established’. When

Cyprus as a tourist destination is talked about, ‘sun and sea’ will appear in most

foreigners’ mind. This means the image of Cyprus is only limited in a very narrow range.

The history and culture are often ignored. Besides its natural beauty, Cyprus has also a

distinctive archaeological and cultural wealth, originating from its 9,000 years old

history. The cultural dimension of tourism is inseparably associated with Cyprus.

However, the impression persists that this fundamental resource is not being treated

appropriately, with particular reference to its intrinsic and unique historic cultural

heritage. Cyprus has rich enclaves of cultural vitality, past and present, which could

benefit from the dialogue generated by tourism, in terms of improvement and diffusion. It

is important to realize that culture tourism is not limited to the historical-artistic heritage,

but also includes popular cultures, artistic production and some contemporary

5
architecture.

Culture is an important core the theme in the development of the tourist product. It

includes the ‘human’ factor, as well, upon which the identity and uniqueness of the

destination is dependant. The culture of Cyprus is reflected in the music, art, theatre,

literature, history, architecture, archaeology, museums, monuments, festivals, exhibitions,

and interpretative facilities of Cyprus. Culture makes a destination different and

interesting. It is clear that Cyprus has the capacity to provide a rewarding and satisfying

cultural experience for a wide range of tourists, at present, this potential is not being

realized, largely because of a failure in presentation. The presentation of the culture must

be approached by tourism planners with the greatest sensitivity. Once the image of

Cyprus is will-developed, Cyprus will be no longer an island only with sea and sun, but a

warm, relaxed and friendly Mediterranean island steeped in history and culture and the

associated romance that accompanies the mythology of Aphrodite.

Transportation for tourism is an essential element of the tourist product. Increasingly,

when transport is viewed as part of leisure, the journey is at least as important as the

destination itself. The article “Transportation” indicates that ‘Tourism is about being

elsewhere and, in consequence, the relationship between transportation and tourism

development has traditionally been regarded as ‘chicken and egg’. Adequate

transportation infrastructure and access to generating markets is one of the most

important prerequisites for the development of any destination’. (Cooper, Fletcher,

Gilbert, Shepherd, and Wanhill .1998. ‘Tourism Principles and Practice’)

Imagine that there is a very beautiful island in the pacific, and you want to visit it.

But you do not know where it is, how to reach it, and use which kind of conveyance.

6
Then, you will never realize your travel. Transportation for tourism is an essential

element of the tourist product in two ways: it is the means of movement at the

destination.

Cyprus, as a tourist destination should develop its transport system. This system here

we mean includes two aspects: Access Transport and Internal transport. Access transport

provides the means to reach the destination, while internal transport provides the means

of movement at the destination.

Most tourists come to Cyprus by air because it is fast and saving time. For

geographical isolation, for example, Cyprus, air is the dominant and often the only

reasonably fast means of travel. While, Cyprus Airline still exists the following problems:

• Lower competitive capability

• Limited regulatory regime

• Inadequate infrastructure.

These problems hinder the development of tourism in Cyprus.

Internal transportation needs of the tourist are provided by taxis, rental cars, coaches

and public transport bus services. The problems of Cyprus internal transportation include

that

• Taxi services are restricted in geography and time

• Tourist service bus routes are few.

• And top class touring coaches are few.

The above problems are largely within the commercial arena, while some regulatory

and quality control issues are the responsibility of the public sector. In many cases the

7
development of internal transportation systems for tourism cannot and should not be

separate to those of the domestic market.

CHAPTER 3

RESEARCH METHODOLODY

3.1 Introduction

Research is an organic process, which is continuous and changing. The purpose of

this study is to identify the need for the development of niche tourism products, which

will promote strong future growth and diversification in Cyprus tourism industry.

The objectives of the research are

o To identify the need for differentiation

o To determine the potential markets of Cyprus tourism

o To ascertain whether Cyprus has the potential and necessary characteristics to

attract the tourism market.

This chapter begins with an analysis of the importance of secondary and primary data,

then explains why both of them were used and in which way. Finally, some limitations

that the researchers faced were discussed.

3.2 Secondary Data Collection

As Churchill (1991) mentioned, first attempts at data collection should logically

focus on secondary data. Secondary data are statistics/information not gathered for the

immediate study at hand but for other purposes (Churchill, 1991; Malhorta, 1993).

Secondary data are easily accessible, relatively inexpensive, and quickly obtained (Clark

8
ET. Al. 1998; Veal, 1991). On the other hand, because secondary data have been collected

for other than the study at hand, their usefulness to the current situation may be limited in

many important ways, including relevancy and accuracy (Clark et. al. 1998; Malhotra,

1993; veal, 1991). Using secondary data could help the researcher to explain primary data

more insightfully (Bryman, 2001, Malhotra, 1993).

For this thesis, secondary data such as the annual reports of Cyprus Tourism

Organization (CTO), the strategic plan for tourism 2010, general texts on tourism and

marketing, tourism, hospitality and leisure journals, the Internet and newspapers, were

used.

3.3 Primary Data Collection

Primary research involves the collection of original data using an accepted research

methodology. Primary data are data originated by the researcher for the specific purpose

of addressing the research problem (Malhotra, 1993). The process of collecting primary

data is individual tailored, the cost is high, and the collecting time is long.

Since the thesis sought to explore the current situation in Cyprus in terms of tourism

development, the primary information obtained was quantitative. The quantitative

approach to research involves statistical analysis. It relies on numerical evidence to draw

conclusions or to test hypotheses (Veal, 1992). In the research, questionnaire survey was

used, which involves the gathering of information from individuals using a formally

designed schedule of questions called a questionnaire or interview schedule.

The advantages of questionnaire surveys include

o Objective results

o Complex information in easy understood form

9
 o Providing opportunity to study change over time, using comparable methodology

o Ensuring that a complete picture of a person’s patterns of participation is obtained

The disadvantages of questionnaire surveys include that

o Somewhat impersonal method for collecting valuable information

o The results may not be understandable to people who are not statistically trained

o Unable to collect valuable behavior information (symbols, gestures)

o Closed-ended questions limit people to provide more in-depth answers.

o Somewhat inflexible not allowing the researcher to gather more difficult

information (more choices)

3.4 Limitations of the study

This thesis had to tackle with and overcome many barriers that occurred before and

during the research.

Limitation of financial budget was our first problem. As students, we didn’t have

enough money to freely allocate. So many information resources could not be reached.

Also the number of Tourist Survey copies was limited.

Secondly, time was limited. We had limited time to conduct this research. Also, the

time range during which our research allowed to do was winter. This made the result of

the study limited.

Thirdly, due to the inconvenience of Cyprus public transportation, we could not go to

more tourist areas to send Tourist Surveys.

The final problem was the lack of literature search. There was few books available

related to Cyprus tourism products in the college library. Also, the existing literature was

10
often not the appropriate material and this made the secondary data difficult to sort

through for this project.

CHAPTER 4

FINDINGS/DATA PRESENTATION & ANALYSIS

4.1 Primary Data presentation

A point that was made was that secondary data represented fast and inexpensive

research information. In addition secondary data rarely provide a complete solution to a

research problem. The secondary data are not matched to problems for three reasons: 1)

units of measurement, 2) class definition, or 3) publication currency (Veal, 1992). So

authors logically turned to primary data. The Tourist Survey Questionnaire was designed

and sent to foreign tourists, which is about 300 shares, to answer. This was conducted

mainly in two areas including Larnaca Airport and Nicosia.

The followings are some findings by analyzing the statistics of respondence to the

three hundred questionnaires.

Table 1 Genders

Male Female
52% 48%

According to the percentage of gender, we found out that female travelers are

nearly half to the total respondents. They are more discriminating and security conscious

11
than male travelers. It can be suggested that lodging properties can offer additional

amenities (such as makeup mirrors, premium shampoos and lotions, hair dryers, etc.).

Also, additional security measures should be taken to meet the female traveler’s needs.

Table 2 Ages

AGE PERCENTAGE
18---27 12%
28---37 23%
38---47 31%
OVER 48 33%

The bigger percentages of age are mainly the middle-aged and the old. We can see

that, in off-season, tourists over 30 years old have more free time and money to travel

abroad. Among them, people over 47 years old are most.

Table 3 Nationalities

NATIONALITIES PERCENTAGE
U.K 23%
GERMANY 20%
NORWAY 16%
SWEDEN 12%
DUTCH 8%
SWISS 5%
ITALY 5%
SPAIN 4%
IRISH 3%
AUSTRALIA 2%
KOREA 2%

From the figures above, British and germen are major tourists to Cyprus. Next is

North European, such as Norway and Sweden.

12
Table 4

Occupations

OCCUPATION PERCENTAGE %
RETIRED 42%
HOUSEWIFE 18%
ENGINEER 6%
PUBLIC SERVICE 5%
TEACHER 4%
OTHERS 25%

During off-season of tourism, the retirees are the majority of total tourists, which is

42%. Many housewives also have time to relax by traveling in wintertime. From the

percentages of different occupations, we can find that few people who have jobs have

time to travel abroad in winter.

The following are findings from the responses of the twelve questions.

1. Shown as Figure 3, there are 28% tourists choosing safety. From here, we can

find that safety is still No. 1 consideration in tourists’ mind. Also it is proved that

Cyprus is a very safe tourist destination. Safety is its one of the most important

Figure 3
I like Cyprus because of.....

30% 27% 28%

25%
25%
18%
20%
15%
10%
5% 2%

0%
Historical Culture Scenery Others
heritage and
Custom s

advantages. 25% of tourists choose its historical heritage and 27% of tourists

choose its cultural traditions and customs. From here, we can find that the

13
 historical heritage and culture of Cyprus are very important attractive points for

tourists.

2. Shown as Figure 4, 73% of tourists are satisfied with the unique culture and

environment. It indicates that it would be successful for Cyprus on the aspect of

maintaining its culture’s uniqueness.

Figure 4 How satisfied were you with the unique culture and
environment?

80% 73%
70%
60%
50%
40%
3. 30%
16%
20% 8%
2% 1%
10%
0%
Very Satisfied Generally Very dissatisfied
satisfied satisfied dissatisfied

Shown as Figure 5, there are 28% and 19% of tourists choosing fairly and not very
Figure 5 How pleased were you with the appearance of the Cyprus
Beaches?

47%
50%

40%
28%
30%
19%
20%
5%
10% 1%

0%
very pleased fairly not very displeased
pleased m uch
pleased

much pleased. These two quite big figures indicate that problems exist in terms of

the appearance of the Cyprus beaches. As one of the main attractions, beaches

14
 problems should not be ignored. These problems should be discovered as soon as

possible and solved properly.

Figure 6 The public transportation of Cyprus is

4. very conveinent for tourists.

50% 42%
40%
26%
30%
17%
20%
6% 9%
10%

0%
strongly agree strangly disagree others,
agree disagree please
specify

Shown as Figure 6, nearly 59% of tourists consider that the public transportation of

Cyprus is not convenient. It means big problem with public transportation

problems include limited time, limited lines, limited number of times, etc.

5. Shown as Figure 7, although most tourists are satisfied with the attitudes of local

people to them, they’re over 20% of tourists express their dissatisfactions. The

impressions of tourists on local people directly affect tourists’ repeat visit to

Cyprus. In addition, tourists will tell their friends their experiences in Cyprus.

Figure 7 M ost local people treat tourists friendly

and hospitable.

50% 49%

40%
18% 23%
30%
20%
5% 5%
10%

0%
strongly agree strangly disagree others,
agree disagree please
specify
15
6. Shown as Figure 8, most tourists can find their favorite activities. But there are

many people did not agree it. For example, a tourist said that she liked Viking, but

couldn’t find suitable places to go.

Figure 8 You can always find activities, which are

suitable for you in Cyprus.
7.
47%
50% 45%

40%
30%
20%
6%
10% 2% 0%
0%
strongly agree strangly disagree others,
agree disagree please
specify

Shown as Figure 9, over half of tourists considered that Cyprus is an ideal place for

holding meeting, or wedding ceremonies/ honeymoon. That is a big percentage,

which shows that Cyprus can develop its target market in this aspect.

Figure 9 Cyprus is an ideal place for holding

meetings, wedding and honeymoon.

60% 52%
50% 37%
40%
30%
20% 7%
3% 1%
10%
0%
strongly agree strangly disagree others,
agree disagree please
specify

16
8. Shown as Figure 10, most tourists disagreed that sports tourism is well developed

in Cyprus. It indicates that sport tourism is still in the stage of beginning. But the

potential characteristics to attract the sport tourism market existing and need to be

discovered.

Figure 10 Sports tourism is well developed in Cyprus.

80% 72%

60%

40%
18%
20% 0%
6%
4%

0%
strongly agree strangly disagree others,
agree disagree please
specify
9.

Shown as Figure 11, a big percentage of tourists, who is 91%, considered that the

rates of lodging properties offering are high. This should be taken seriously.

Compared with other similar tourist destinations. This is an important and big

How about price in Cyprus tourist industry.

100% 87%

80%

60%

40%

20% 4% 2% 6%
1%

0%
very high high very low low fairly

weakness in the drastic competition today.

Figure 11

17
 10. Shown as Figure 12, most of tourists considered that Cyprus is very safe tourist

destination. But, still some tourists have opposite choices. One of them said that

the traffic of Cyprus was too dangerous; some drivers were not good at driving at

all!

Figure 12 How would you define safety and security in Cyprus.

56%
60%
50%
40%
30% 20%
15%
20%
5% 4%
10%
0%
excellent good som etim es insecure others,
please
specify

4.2Analysis of Secondary Data

The main secondary data were obtained mainly from CTO (Cyprus Tourism

Organization). Upon evaluating the secondary data, the analysis will be presented.

The Need for Differentiation

Tourism in Cyprus is at a critical turning point of its development. Thus far, Cyprus

18
has allowed mass tourism to develop with little regard to planning and long-term

sustainable development (Ten Years Strategic Marketing Plan). In the year 2002, GDP

stood at us$ 6.3 billion and tourism accounted for 20 percent of its total. The Cyprus

economy has become overly dependent on tourism and is detrimentally focusing on

limited markets of sun, sea and sand. (See table 1).

One of key issues was the dependence of the rapid growth of tourism in Cyprus on

a single tourist market. As is evident from the below table (see table 1). British visitors

accounted for about 55 percent of all arrivals to Cyprus. Due to the fact that the British

market has reached zenith levels in the Cyprus tourism industry, this presents an over

dependency on it. It becomes necessary to change the strategic marketing for CTO to

attract other European tourists. From the view of CTO, according to its “Development of

a Long Term Strategy for Cyprus Tourism, the tourist authorities are aware of the

increased risks associated with having a narrow source of origin for tourism and they are

working towards diversifying the market.

By evaluating the report “Sustainable Tourism and Competitiveness in the Islands

of the Mediterranean”, another important point arose was that Cyprus operates primarily

in the mass tourist market where price competition is intense and as a consequence, profit

margins are being squeezed. This clearly relates to Gilbert’s “status area” versus

“commodity status”, in which he recommends that it’s better to be unique and cost more

than to be cheap and forgettable. He also recommends that differentiation the tourism

market gets better results rather than over extending the already stretched mass tourist

one.

19
Table 5

Tourist Arrivals By Country

Country Year 2001 Percentage %
United Kingdom 1486700 55.13%
Germany 214149 7.94%
Switzerland 76608 2.84%
France 32825 1.22%
Holland 50743 1.88%
Belgium/Luxembourg 31001 1.15%
Austria 31031 1.15%
Italy 21907 0.81%
Ireland 51875 1.92%
Greece 89758 3.33%
Nordic countries 270789 10.04%
Russia + Other CIS 128504 4.77%
Countries in Eastern
51232 1.90%
Europe
Israel 36676 1.36%
Arab Countries 50795 1.88%
Other Countries 72139 2.68%
All Countries 2696732 100.00%
Source: CTO

To illustrate the above argument, Metaxas, the director of marketing of the CTO,

referred to the example of Ayia Napa, Cyprus’s number one destination, which attracts

the young market (clubbers which account of 35 percent of the total arrivals). A report by

the CTO points out that in high season, young British tourists are attracted to the area

(Ayia Napa), but have negative results for the market not only during high season but

also during the remaining months. Most of the young crowds come on cheap flight and

accommodation package deals. They tan all day, sleep very little money on food and

engage in very limited recreational activities. Obviously then, by differentiating the

tourist product, there would be less pressure on sun, sea and sand to carry the entire

tourism industry of Cyprus.

20
The necessity to raise the tourist product quality

Comparing with other similar tourist destinations, Cyprus has higher costs in

providing tourist products. One important factor should be taken consideration, which is a

high labor cost. Labor costs in Cyprus are particularly high. This factor needs detailed

examination with a view to making a case to government for special consideration. The

tourism sector is especially labor intensive and therefore, additional burden. Another

factor is the issue of seasonality. An uneven pattern in demand means that tourism

operators have under-utilized plant that is not earning money at some periods of the year,

reducing profits. This leads to a series of problems; it forces operators to recoup their

investment over a limited period of the year which tend to lead to high prices and in some

cases, a poor quality product since standards are compromised in and effort to reduce

overheads.

Therefore, it is not easy to lower prices of Cyprus tourist products. The resolving of

the problem is turned to raise the product quality. “By raising the product quality rather

than lowering prices, this would simultaneously attract higher income tourists as well as

tourists who want more value for their money and are willing to pay more to receive it”,

Metaxas said.

Additionally, by raising the product quality, diversification and seasonality are

encouraged. To overcome the constraint of seasonality, the strategic plan suggests

attracting visitors who are prepared to come to Cyprus outside of the peak months.

Specifically the share of arrivals during the peak season (July-September) should

decrease to 33% from 40% that is the case in recent years, while the share of arrivals

21
 during the remaining months should increase accordingly (CTO, Strategic Plan for

Tourism 2010).

Developing Special Interest Tourism

Shown as “Percentage Distribution of Tourists By Location of Stay 2001”(see table

2) over ninety percent of tourists choose to stay at the seaside cities, such as Ayia Napa,

Larnaca, Lemesos and Paphos. It indicates that sea and sun are still the main stimulus for

most visitors who come to the island. While, the tourism resources of Cyprus are not

unilateral. Cyprus has historical sites, museums with a large collection of antiquities and

treasures, themed routes, nature trails, and many other interest products, which are

dispersed, in the different areas of the island. Attracting tourists to visit different areas of

Cyprus should be made great efforts.

Table 6

DISTRIBUTION OF TOURISTS BY LOCATION OF STAY 2001

LOCATION OF
AGIA HILL
STAY MAIN PARALIMNI LARNAKA LEMESOS PAFOS LEFKOSIA
NAPA RESORTS
COUNTRIES
UNITED KINDOM 11,96 9,38 5,66 16,52 49,74 0,92 0,07
GERMANY 7,88 15,08 6,78 10,01 52,31 0,41 0,26
SWITZERLAND 15,56 51,97 8,30 10,49 10,66 0,48 -
FRANCE 4,43 5,05 20,10 27,40 16,19 3,33 -
HOLLAND 4,13 9,67 10,80 11,56 49,78 1,04 -
BELGIUM 0,32 1,39 8,01 14,19 66,90 1,77 -
AUSTRIA 8,71 32,54 20,87 15,83 16,78 0,41 -
ITALY 13,36 18,89 6,39 18,98 28,72 5,44 -
IRELAND 22,43 45,48 3,27 20,56 4,98 0,93 -
GREECE 2,98 1,99 21,79 31,30 6,01 26,29 0,09
NORDIC -
34,92 48,39 8,34 5,30 1,78 0,31
COUNTRY
RUSSIA + OTHER -
1,16 10,86 15,04 41,47 26,25 1,74
ESN
COUNTRY IN -
4,29 18,18 37,56 35,35 2,35 1,21
EASTERM EU
ISRAEL - 22,81 22,46 35,54 3,80 7,96 3,01
ARAB 0,20
0,46 7,44 24,02 45,25 4,13 15,40
COUNTRIES
ALL COUNTRIES 10,58 16,01 10,48 19,00 33,40 2,86 0,14

22
 The strength of the appeal of a destination to tourists is critically linked to the type

and quality of ‘activities’ it offers. It is the activities that Cyprus offers that will stimulate

an interest in visiting the country. More reasons should be given to potential visitors to

come to Cyprus. One extremely important way of achieving this is to develop a wide

range of special interest tourism products. This is important because it not only targets

those who pursue a special interest and therefore, opens up new market potential but it

also attracts individual with a more generalist holiday in mind. “Strategic Plan For

Tourism 2010” regarding Special Interest Products, focuses on the creation of products

that can project the uniqueness of Cyprus as a destination.

The Special Interest Products will act as attractors to the destination, which of the

same time they will offer opportunities for activities and entertainment. In this case it

does not generate new business but it does lead to a higher level of satisfaction. For

example, a person may seek a resort-based holiday but also be attracted by the additional

prospect of walking in the Troodos Mountains. It is an additional incentive and can result

in providing that extra reason to choose one destination from another.

23
 CHAPTER 5

RECOMMENDATIONS & CONCLUSION

The objectives of this study are to ascertain whether Cyprus has the characteristics

to attract tourist market, to identify the need for differentiation for the tourist products,

and to identify the necessity to raise the tourist products quality and develop special

interest tourism.

The study reported here was conducted in order to identify the necessity of

improving the quality of Cyprus tourism products. Theoretically, based on secondary

data, this necessity offers strong future growth and diversification of the tourism industry.

As far as primary data are concerned, due to time constraints, limited data relating to the

topic, this research methodology based its finding on two hundred questionnaires. These

questionnaires helped the researchers to obtain more quantitative information and

portrayed a more realistic picture of the necessary improvement of Tourism product

quality in Cyprus.

5.1 Recommendations

The following recommendations represent the researchers’ own beliefs. They

represent theoretical solution in the sense that they have not been tested in practice,

24
which means that it is not possible to determine whether they could be successful or not.

However, researchers believe that it is worth considering these recommendations.

The strength of the appeal of a destination to tourists is critically linked to the type

and quality of ‘activities’ it offers. It is the activities that Cyprus offers that will stimulate

an interest in visiting the country. In general, the demands for the other components of

travel (transport, accommodation and so on) derive from the original stimulus that comes

from the interest in experiencing the activities. Special interest tourism is concerned with

individuals and small groups who take a holiday with the primary purpose of following a

pursuit that are of particular interest to them. The special interest products will act as

attractors to the destination. These products could be football grounds, golf courses, agro

tourism, themed routes, etc. Athens Olympic Game in 2004 provides very good

opportunities to Cyprus to attract the sport tourism segment, for example.

5.2 Quality and Value-added Approach

The approach for quality and value-added in tourist experience seeks to contain the

erosion of the competitive position of the tourist sector.

The offer of a better “value for money” and the improved relation between quality

and price will be pursued through the maximization of the visitor’s satisfaction, the

provision of a rich tourist experience, the cultivation of a distinctive character and

identity for the destination, the supply of more, and more attractive tourist facilities and

infrastructure, and the increase of productivity and efficiency of the sector to meet the

sectors needs.

25
5.3 Issues for Further Research

When collecting primary data, the authors did meet some problems. Firstly, many

tourists could not understand English. Many of them speak German. This made our

research more difficult. So we suggest that in the further research questionnaires should

be written in more languages, including English, German, French, etc.

Secondly, it is difficult to find a suitable place, such as a table, for tourists to answer

the questionnaires even tourists would like to answer them. In the further research, this

should be taken into consideration.

Thirdly, because the research was conducted in winter, most tourists’ ages are

above forty. So the research can only reflect small percentage of young persons’

thoughts. It is one of the limitations. It is suggested that the research should try to cover

all age groups in the further study.

Finally, this research had fairly limited time to be completed. The range of time was

only limited in three months, which is the off-season of Cyprus tourism. So it is

suggested for further researches that studies time could cover one tourist year for the

reason of further understanding Cyprus tourist products.

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