The Pandoteira project organized an online seminar, followed by an educational visit to wetlands in the Larnaca district. Both activities were addressed to officers of the Deputy Ministry of Tourism, in an effort to set up awareness raising and information activities for targeted stakeholders.
More specifically, the webinar took place on May 2nd, 2022, and focused on “Actions for the protection and management of Natura 2000 sites”. The aim of the webinar was to inform the officers of the Deputy Ministry about the importance of the Natura 2000 network and to discuss possible future synergies with the Deputy Ministry with the aim of promoting our nature.
More than 20 officers participated at this webinar and had the opportunity to:
- Find out how an area is classified as Natura 2000, what are the obligations under European and National legislation, what are the possible restrictions and what are the benefits of these areas.
- Learn about the possibility of upgrading our tourism product through the promotion and sustainable development of Natura 2000 areas (Nature Tourism).
- Be informed about the concept of Natura 2000 clustering and the future preparation of trip packages for Natura 2000 clusters. Each package will include different accommodation, dining suggestions, as well as possible activities one could do at each cluster.
Following this, on May 12th, 2022, officers of the Deputy Ministry of Tourism, who are more focused on nature issues, participated in an educational visit to Larnaca district wetlands. More specifically, we visited the Larnaca Salt Lakes, the sand dunes in the area of Meneou and Oroklini lake.
The officers were informed about the importance of these specific areas, which are part of the Natura 2000 network, as well as about the relevant actions that will take place in the framework of the Pandoteira project. In addition, we discussed the various threats these areas are facing and how these can and will be managed within the project. Moreover, through a short a hike, an on-site discussion and bird watching, participants were able to understand the great importance of wetlands for the well-being of the environment
This educational visit was a great opportunity to exchange views about how nature could play a more strategic role in attracting more tourists off season.
Future plans
We will remain in close contact with the officers of the Deputy Ministry and we will also attempt to create synergies between the Pandoteira project and the Deputy Ministry to attract quality and alternative tourism to our island.
