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 editerranean at the

crossroads of three continents, !urope, "sia, and "frica. #t attracts hundreds of thousands of tourists every year. Today, tourism is the lar$est industry in the world, in particular, to small islands or countries like Cyprus that sustain lar$e percenta$es of their national economy on this industry. Table % 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%

&ource: CT'

(ith the stron$ support of the Cyprus Tourism 'r$ani)ation *CT'+ and ,overnment by means of incentives, the tourist industry in Cyprus has $radually developed to the pillar sector of the economy. The followin$ table *table -+ shows that Cross .eceipts of tourism from %//% to -00% increased 1 times.

Figure 2
Cross Receipts from Tourism 1991-2001

CYP

1400 1200 1000 800 600 400 200 0 1990

1992

1994

1996 Years

1998

2000

2002

&ource: CT'

2owever, the decrease of the tourist3s arrivals by the month &eptember in the year -00- is over %04 compared with the year -00%. From e5ternal environment, the terrorist attacks on the %%th of &eptember -00% shook the entire $lobal tourism industry. Cyprus tourism is impacted indirectly. #n addition, the situation in the id-!ast is in turmoil,

which also can be a factor that affects people3s choice to their vacation destination. 2owever, we cannot i$nore the internal factor that is low quality tourist products. Cyprus tourist products have to confront accumulated problems and weaknesses, such as one-dimensional and standardi)ed tourism development, the abuse of the natural

environment and the erosion of the island3s cultural identity, cases of antisocial behavior, hi$h operational costs, intense completion, seasonality, etc. Cyprus, carryin$ an e5perience in tourism of over 10 years, is called upon to utili)e the knowled$e of the past and within the framework of on$oin$ chan$es and new developments to map out a new route for Cyprus tourism toward the -%st century. The Structure of the Thesis This study consists of five chapters: Chapter one is the introduction that sets the topic of the thesis, declares the aim and objectives. Chapter two provides a critical account of the theoretical structure of the framework in which the research has been done. Chapter three e5amines the key research aspects involved in this study. Chapter four sets out the findin$s of this study. Chapter five presents some recommendations and draws conclusions from the information collected.

CHAPTER 2 LITERATURE REVIEW

6iterature review is a summary of past research that is related to the main concept of this thesis. #n this part, a detailed literature review will be presented. (e 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 followin$ are these articles: 78efinition of Tourism9 *,lafkos ". "nastassiou 7&ports Tourism in #sland icrostates9 -00%+ 76ack of 8istinctiveness---#ma$e9 *CT'. 8evelopment of a 6in$ Term &trate$y for Cyprus Tourism:Final .eport+ 7Transportation9 *Copper, Fletcher, ,ilbert, &hepherd, and (anhill. 7Tourism ;rinciples and practice9+ Tourism is often difficult to be defined, because it is a comple5 concept. "nd it is often defined by one perspective rather than an array of viewpoints. #n the article <8efinition of Tourism3, it is said that Tourism is often defined in terms of a travel e5perience rather than by the nature of the activity of tourism itself3. 2ere, 7travel e5perience3 is emphasi)ed in terms of tourism. #t is necessary to consider a tourist as a consumer. For a consumer, visitin$ a destination is an e5perience. 'nce he or she decides to visit a destination, that means he or she buys a product that is intan$ible. The quality of such a product becomes very important. #t will directly influence the satisfaction de$ree of a consumer3s e5perience.

The intan$ible product we mentioned here is the tourism product, which can be defined as the resource and creative facilities of a destination combined to produce an amal$am of activities and functions. Tourism products are delivered to tourists throu$h the sensations of si$ht, sound, smell, taste and touch. (hen tourists come to Cyprus, they will e5perience the different sensations, which will form perceptions of tourists. >y these perceptions, tourists can jud$e if their e5pectations are met. #f they are satisfied with the product that they bou$ht, they will possibly buy it a$ain and a$ain? in that case, repeat visits or business will occur. 2ow to make a tourist satisfied@ #mprovin$ the quality of tourism products become very important. The article <6ack of 8istinctiveness-#ma$e3, it is pointed out <with respect to developin$ distinctiveness in the Cyprus product we believe that history and culture provide the means by which a clear and separate identity can be established3. (hen Cyprus as a tourist destination is talked about, <sun and sea3 will appear in most forei$ners3 mind. This means the ima$e of Cyprus is only limited in a very narrow ran$e. The history and culture are often i$nored. >esides its natural beauty, Cyprus has also a distinctive archaeolo$ical and cultural wealth, ori$inatin$ from its /,000 years old history. The cultural dimension of tourism is inseparably associated with Cyprus. 2owever, the impression persists that this fundamental resource is not bein$ treated appropriately, with particular reference to its intrinsic and unique historic cultural herita$e. Cyprus has rich enclaves of cultural vitality, past and present, which could benefit from the dialo$ue $enerated by tourism, in terms of improvement and diffusion. #t is important to reali)e that culture tourism is not limited to the historical-artistic herita$e, but also includes popular cultures, artistic production and some contemporary

architecture. Culture is an important core the theme in the development of the tourist product. #t includes the <human3 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, archaeolo$y, museums, monuments, festivals, e5hibitions, and interpretative facilities of Cyprus. Culture makes a destination different and interestin$. #t is clear that Cyprus has the capacity to provide a rewardin$ and satisfyin$ cultural e5perience for a wide ran$e of tourists, at present, this potential is not bein$ reali)ed, lar$ely because of a failure in presentation. The presentation of the culture must be approached by tourism planners with the $reatest sensitivity. 'nce the ima$e of Cyprus is will-developed, Cyprus will be no lon$er an island only with sea and sun, but a warm, rela5ed and friendly editerranean island steeped in history and culture and the

associated romance that accompanies the mytholo$y of "phrodite. Transportation for tourism is an essential element of the tourist product. #ncreasin$ly, when transport is viewed as part of leisure, the journey is at least as important as the destination itself. The article 7Transportation9 indicates that <Tourism is about bein$ elsewhere and, in consequence, the relationship between transportation and tourism development has traditionally been re$arded as <chicken and e$$3. "dequate transportation infrastructure and access to $eneratin$ markets is one of the most important prerequisites for the development of any destination3. *Cooper, Fletcher, ,ilbert, &hepherd, and (anhill .%//B. <Tourism ;rinciples and ;ractice3+ #ma$ine that there is a very beautiful island in the pacific, and you want to visit it. >ut you do not know where it is, how to reach it, and use which kind of conveyance.

Then, you will never reali)e 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: "ccess Transport and #nternal transport. "ccess transport provides the means to reach the destination, while internal transport provides the means of movement at the destination. ost tourists come to Cyprus by air because it is fast and savin$ time. For $eo$raphical isolation, for e5ample, Cyprus, air is the dominant and often the only reasonably fast means of travel. (hile, Cyprus "irline still e5ists the followin$ problems: 6ower competitive capability 6imited re$ulatory re$ime #nadequate infrastructure.

These problems hinder the development of tourism in Cyprus. #nternal transportation needs of the tourist are provided by ta5is, rental cars, coaches and public transport bus services. The problems of Cyprus internal transportation include that Ta5i services are restricted in $eo$raphy and time Tourist service bus routes are few. "nd top class tourin$ coaches are few.

The above problems are lar$ely within the commercial arena, while some re$ulatory and quality control issues are the responsibility of the public sector. #n many cases the

development of internal transportation systems for tourism cannot and should not be separate to those of the domestic market.

CHAPTER RESEARCH !ETHODOLOD"

#1 I$tro%uctio$
.esearch is an or$anic process, which is continuous and chan$in$. The purpose of this study is to identify the need for the development of niche tourism products, which will promote stron$ future $rowth 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 be$ins with an analysis of the importance of secondary and primary data, then e5plains why both of them were used and in which way. Finally, some limitations that the researchers faced were discussed.

#2 Seco$%&r' D&t& Co((ectio$

"s Churchill *%//%+ mentioned, first attempts at data collection should lo$ically focus on secondary data. &econdary data are statisticsEinformation not $athered for the immediate study at hand but for other purposes *Churchill, %//%? alhorta, %//1+.

&econdary data are easily accessible, relatively ine5pensive, and quickly obtained *Clark

!T. "l. %//B? Feal, %//%+. 'n 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, includin$ relevancy and accuracy *Clark et. al. %//B? alhotra,

%//1? veal, %//%+. Gsin$ secondary data could help the researcher to e5plain primary data more insi$htfully *>ryman, -00%, alhotra, %//1+.

For this thesis, secondary data such as the annual reports of Cyprus Tourism 'r$ani)ation *CT'+, the strate$ic plan for tourism -0%0, $eneral te5ts on tourism and marketin$, tourism, hospitality and leisure journals, the #nternet and newspapers, were used.

# Pri)&r' D&t& Co((ectio$

;rimary research involves the collection of ori$inal data usin$ an accepted research methodolo$y. ;rimary data are data ori$inated by the researcher for the specific purpose of addressin$ the research problem * alhotra, %//1+. The process of collectin$ primary data is individual tailored, the cost is hi$h, and the collectin$ time is lon$. &ince the thesis sou$ht to e5plore the current situation in Cyprus in terms of tourism development, the primary information obtained was quantitative. The quantitative approach to research involves statistical analysis. #t relies on numerical evidence to draw conclusions or to test hypotheses *Feal, %//-+. #n the research, questionnaire survey was used, which involves the $atherin$ of information from individuals usin$ a formally desi$ned schedule of questions called a questionnaire or interview schedule. The advantages of questionnaire surveys include o 'bjective results o Comple5 information in easy understood form

o ;rovidin$ opportunity to study chan$e over time, usin$ comparable methodolo$y o !nsurin$ that a complete picture of a person3s patterns of participation is obtained The disadvantages of questionnaire surveys include that o &omewhat impersonal method for collectin$ valuable information o The results may not be understandable to people who are not statistically trained o Gnable to collect valuable behavior information *symbols, $estures+ o Closed-ended questions limit people to provide more in-depth answers. o &omewhat infle5ible not allowin$ the researcher to $ather more difficult information *more choices+

#* Li)it&tio$s of the stu%'

This thesis had to tackle with and overcome many barriers that occurred before and durin$ the research. 6imitation of financial bud$et was our first problem. "s students, we didn3t have enou$h money to freely allocate. &o many information resources could not be reached. "lso the number of Tourist &urvey copies was limited. &econdly, time was limited. (e had limited time to conduct this research. "lso, the time ran$e durin$ 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 $o to more tourist areas to send Tourist &urveys. The final problem was the lack of literature search. There was few books available related to Cyprus tourism products in the colle$e library. "lso, the e5istin$ literature was

%0

often not the appropriate material and this made the secondary data difficult to sort throu$h for this project.

CHAPTER * FINDIN+S,DATA PRESENTATION - ANAL"SIS

=.% ;rimary 8ata presentation

" point that was made was that secondary data represented fast and ine5pensive research information. #n addition secondary data rarely provide a complete solution to a research problem. The secondary data are not matched to problems for three reasons: %+ units of measurement, -+ class definition, or 1+ publication currency *Feal, %//-+. &o authors lo$ically turned to primary data. The Tourist &urvey Huestionnaire was desi$ned and sent to forei$n tourists, which is about 100 shares, to answer. This was conducted mainly in two areas includin$ 6arnaca "irport and Iicosia. The followin$s are some findin$s by analy)in$ the statistics of respondence to the three hundred questionnaires.
T&.(e 1 +e$%ers

!&(e 52%

Fe)&(e */0

"ccordin$ to the percenta$e of $ender, we found out that female travelers are nearly half to the total respondents. They are more discriminatin$ and security conscious

%%

than male travelers. #t can be su$$ested that lod$in$ properties can offer additional amenities *such as makeup mirrors, premium shampoos and lotions, hair dryers, etc.+. "lso, additional security measures should be taken to meet the female traveler3s needs.

T&.(e 2 A+E 1/11122 2/111 2 /111*2 OVER */

Ages PERCENTA+E 120 2 0 10 0

The bi$$er percenta$es of a$e are mainly the middle-a$ed and the old. (e can see that, in off-season, tourists over 10 years old have more free time and money to travel abroad. "mon$ them, people over =D years old are most.

T&.(e

N&tio$&(ities NATIONALITIES U#3 +ER!AN" NORWA" SWEDEN DUTCH SWISS ITAL" SPAIN IRISH AUSTRALIA 3OREA PE !ENTA"E 2 0 240 150 120 /0 60 60 *0 0 20 20

%-

From the fi$ures above, >ritish and $ermen are major tourists to Cyprus. Ie5t is Iorth !uropean, such as Iorway and &weden. T&.(e * Occu7&tio$s OCCUPATION ETI E#
HOUSEWIFE EN+INEER PU8LIC SERVICE TEACHER OTHERS

PERCENTA+E 0
*20 1/0 50 60 *0 260

8urin$ off-season of tourism, the retirees are the majority of total tourists, which is =-4. any housewives also have time to rela5 by travelin$ in wintertime. From the

percenta$es of different occupations, we can find that few people who have jobs have time to travel abroad in winter. The followin$ are findin$s from the responses of the twelve questions. %. &hown as Fi$ure 1, there are -B4 tourists choosin$ safety. From here, we can find that safety is still Io. % consideration in tourists3 mind. "lso it is proved that Cyprus is a very safe tourist destination. &afety is its one of the most important
$igure %

) "i*e C'prus because of+++++

0% 25% 20% 15% 10% 5% 0% !istorica" #erita$e Cu"ture an% Custom s &cener' (t#ers 2% 18% 25% 27% 28%

%1

advanta$es. -A4 of tourists choose its historical herita$e and -D4 of tourists choose its cultural traditions and customs. From here, we can find that the historical herita$e and culture of Cyprus are very important attractive points for tourists. -. &hown as Fi$ure =, D14 of tourists are satisfied with the unique culture and environment. #t indicates that it would be successful for Cyprus on the aspect of maintainin$ its culture3s uniqueness.
$igure &
!o/ satisfie% /ere 'ou /it# t#e uni0ue cu"ture an% en1ironment2
80% ,0% 60% 50% 40% 0% 20% 10% 0% -er' satisfie% &atisfie% .enera""' satisfie% -er' %issatisfie% %issatisfie% 8% 16% 2% 1% 73%

1.

&hown as Fi$ure A, there are -B4 and %/4 of tourists choosin$ fairly and not very
$igure 5
!o/ p"ease% /ere 'ou /it# t#e appearance of t#e C'prus 3eac#es2
50% 40% 0% 20% 10% 0% 1er' p"ease% p"ease% fair"' not 1er' %isp"ease% m uc# p"ease% 1% 5% 47%

28% 19%

much pleased. These two quite bi$ fi$ures indicate that problems e5ist in terms of

%=

the appearance of the Cyprus beaches. "s one of the main attractions, beaches problems should not be i$nored. These problems should be discovered as soon as possible and solved properly.

$igure (

=.
50% 40% 0% 20% 10% 0%

T#e pub"ic transportation of C'prus is 1er' con1einent for tourists+

42% 26% 17% 6% 9%

stron$"' a$ree

a$ree

stran$"' %isa$ree

%isa$ree

ot#ers4 p"ease specif'

&hown as Fi$ure C, nearly A/4 of tourists consider that the public transportation of Cyprus is not convenient. #t means bi$ problem with public transportation problems include limited time, limited lines, limited number of times, etc. A. &hown as Fi$ure D, althou$h most tourists are satisfied with the attitudes of local people to them, they3re over -04 of tourists e5press their dissatisfactions. The impressions of tourists on local people directly affect tourists3 repeat visit to Cyprus. #n addition, tourists will tell their friends their e5periences in Cyprus.
$igure '

5ost "oca" peop"e treat tourists frien%"' an% #ospitab"e+

50% 40% 0% 20% 10% 0% stron$"' a$ree a$ree stran$"' %isa$ree %isa$ree ot#ers4 p"ease specif'
18% 5% 23% 49%

5%

%A

C. &hown as Fi$ure B, most tourists can find their favorite activities. >ut there are many people did not a$ree it. For e5ample, a tourist said that she liked Fikin$, but couldn3t find suitable places to $o.

$igure )

You can a"/a's fin% acti1ities4 /#ic# are suitab"e for 'ou in C'prus+
50% 40% 0% 20% 10% 0% stron$"' a$ree a$ree
6% 2% 0% 45% 47%

D.

stran$"' %isa$ree ot#ers4 %isa$ree p"ease specif'

&hown as Fi$ure /, over half of tourists considered that Cyprus is an ideal place for holdin$ meetin$, or weddin$ ceremoniesE honeymoon. That is a bi$ percenta$e, which shows that Cyprus can develop its tar$et market in this aspect.

$igure *

C'prus is an i%ea" p"ace for #o"%in$ meetin$s4 /e%%in$ an% #one'moon+

60% 50% 40% 0% 20% 10% 0% stron$"' a$ree a$ree stran$"' %isa$ree %isa$ree ot#ers4 p"ease specif'
7% 3% 1% 52% 37%

%C

B. &hown as Fi$ure %0, most tourists disa$reed that sports tourism is well developed in Cyprus. #t indicates that sport tourism is still in the sta$e of be$innin$. >ut the potential characteristics to attract the sport tourism market e5istin$ and need to be discovered.

$igure +,
80% 60% 40%

Sports tourism is well developed in Cyprus.

72%

18%

20% 0%

0% stron$"' a$ree

4% a$ree

6%

stran$"' %isa$ree

%isa$ree

ot#ers4 p"ease specif'

/. &hown as Fi$ure %%, a bi$ percenta$e of tourists, who is /%4, considered that the rates of lod$in$ properties offerin$ are hi$h. This should be taken seriously. Compared with other similar tourist destinations. This is an important and bi$
!o/ about price in C'prus tourist in%ustr'+

100% 80% 60% 40% 20% 0% 1er' #i$# #i$# 4%

87%

1% 1er' "o/

2%

6%

"o/

fair"'

weakness in the drastic competition today.

$igure ++

%D

%0. &hown as Fi$ure %-, most of tourists considered that Cyprus is very safe tourist destination. >ut, still some tourists have opposite choices. 'ne of them said that the traffic of Cyprus was too dan$erous? some drivers were not $ood at drivin$ at allJ
$igure +2
60% 50% 40% 0% 20% 10% 0% e6ce""ent $oo% som etim es insecure ot#ers4 p"ease specif' 20% 15% 5% 4%

!o/ /ou"% 'ou %efine safet' an% securit' in C'prus+

56%

*#2A$&('sis of Seco$%&r' D&t&

The main secondary data were obtained mainly from CT' *Cyprus Tourism 'r$ani)ation+. Gpon evaluatin$ the secondary data, the analysis will be presented. The Need for #ifferentiation Tourism in Cyprus is at a critical turnin$ point of its development. Thus far, Cyprus %B

has allowed mass tourism to develop with little re$ard to plannin$ and lon$-term sustainable development *Ten Kears &trate$ic arketin$ ;lan+. #n the year -00-, ,8;

stood at usL C.1 billion and tourism accounted for -0 percent of its total. The Cyprus economy has become overly dependent on tourism and is detrimentally focusin$ on limited markets of sun, sea and sand. *&ee table %+. 'ne of key issues was the dependence of the rapid $rowth of tourism in Cyprus on a sin$le tourist market. "s is evident from the below table *see table %+. >ritish visitors accounted for about AA percent of all arrivals to Cyprus. 8ue to the fact that the >ritish market has reached )enith levels in the Cyprus tourism industry, this presents an over dependency on it. #t becomes necessary to chan$e the strate$ic marketin$ for CT' to attract other !uropean tourists. From the view of CT', accordin$ to its 78evelopment of a 6on$ Term &trate$y for Cyprus Tourism, the tourist authorities are aware of the increased risks associated with havin$ a narrow source of ori$in for tourism and they are workin$ towards diversifyin$ the market. >y evaluatin$ the report 7&ustainable Tourism and Competitiveness in the #slands of the editerranean9, another important point arose was that Cyprus operates primarily

in the mass tourist market where price competition is intense and as a consequence, profit mar$ins are bein$ squee)ed. This clearly relates to ,ilbert3s 7status area9 versus 7commodity status9, in which he recommends that it3s better to be unique and cost more than to be cheap and for$ettable. 2e also recommends that differentiation the tourism market $ets better results rather than over e5tendin$ the already stretched mass tourist one.

%/

T&.(e 6

Tourist Arrivals By Country

Country
United Kingdom %ermany '(it)erland *rance +olland Belgium,-u.em/ourg Austria 0taly 0reland %reece 1ordic countries 2ussia 3 4t5er C0' Countries in 6astern 6uro7e 0srael Ara/ Countries 4t5er Countries All Countries

Year 2001
148 !00 21414& ! 08 $282" "0!4$ $1001 $10$1 21&0! "18!" 8&!"8 2!0!8& 128"04 "12$2 $ !

Percentage %
""#1$% !#&4% 2#84% 1#22% 1#88% 1#1"% 1#1"% 0#81% 1#&2% $#$$% 10#04% 4#!!% 1#&0% 1#$ % 1#88% 2# 8% 100#00%

"0!&" !21$& 2 & !$2

Source: CTO To illustrate the above ar$ument, eta5as, the director of marketin$ of the CT',

referred to the e5ample of "yia Iapa, Cyprus3s number one destination, which attracts the youn$ market *clubbers which account of 1A percent of the total arrivals+. " report by the CT' points out that in hi$h season, youn$ >ritish tourists are attracted to the area *"yia Iapa+, but have ne$ative results for the market not only durin$ hi$h season but also durin$ the remainin$ months. ost of the youn$ crowds come on cheap fli$ht and

accommodation packa$e deals. They tan all day, sleep very little money on food and en$a$e in very limited recreational activities. 'bviously then, by differentiatin$ the tourist product, there would be less pressure on sun, sea and sand to carry the entire tourism industry of Cyprus. -0

The necessity to raise the tourist -roduct quality Comparin$ with other similar tourist destinations, Cyprus has hi$her costs in providin$ tourist products. 'ne important factor should be taken consideration, which is a hi$h labor cost. 6abor costs in Cyprus are particularly hi$h. This factor needs detailed e5amination with a view to makin$ a case to $overnment for special consideration. The tourism sector is especially labor intensive and therefore, additional burden. "nother factor is the issue of seasonality. "n uneven pattern in demand means that tourism operators have under-utili)ed plant that is not earnin$ money at some periods of the year, reducin$ 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 hi$h prices and in some cases, a poor quality product since standards are compromised in and effort to reduce overheads. Therefore, it is not easy to lower prices of Cyprus tourist products. The resolvin$ of the problem is turned to raise the product quality. 7>y raisin$ the product quality rather than lowerin$ prices, this would simultaneously attract hi$her income tourists as well as tourists who want more value for their money and are willin$ to pay more to receive it9, eta5as said. "dditionally, by raisin$ the product quality, diversification and seasonality are encoura$ed. To overcome the constraint of seasonality, the strate$ic plan su$$ests attractin$ visitors who are prepared to come to Cyprus outside of the peak months. &pecifically the share of arrivals durin$ the peak season *Muly-&eptember+ should decrease to 114 from =04 that is the case in recent years, while the share of arrivals

-%

durin$ the remainin$ months should increase accordin$ly *CT', &trate$ic ;lan for Tourism -0%0+. #evelo-ing S-ecial Interest Touris. &hown as 7;ercenta$e 8istribution of Tourists >y 6ocation of &tay -00%9*see table -+ over ninety percent of tourists choose to stay at the seaside cities, such as "yia Iapa, 6arnaca, 6emesos and ;aphos. #t indicates that sea and sun are still the main stimulus for most visitors who come to the island. (hile, the tourism resources of Cyprus are not unilateral. Cyprus has historical sites, museums with a lar$e collection of antiquities and treasures, themed routes, nature trails, and many other interest products, which are dispersed, in the different areas of the island. "ttractin$ tourists to visit different areas of Cyprus should be made $reat efforts.
T&.(e 5

--

DISTRI8UTION OF TOURISTS 8" LOCATION OF STA" 2441

LOCATION OF STA" !AIN COUNTRIES UNITED 3INDO! "E /AN0 S1IT2E LAN# $ AN!E 3OLLAN# 4EL"I5/ A5ST IA ITAL0 I ELAN# " EE!E NO #I! !O5NT 0 5SSIA 6 OT3E ESN !O5NT 0 IN EASTE / E5 IS AEL A A4 !O5NT IES ALL !O5NT IES PARALIMNI %%,/C D,BB %A,AC =,=1 =,%1 0,1B,D% %1,1C --,=1 -,/B 1=,/%,%C =,-/ 0,=C %0,AB A+IA NAPA /,1B %A,0B A%,/D A,0A /,CD %,1/ 1-,A= %B,B/ =A,=B %,// =B,1/ %0,BC %B,%B --,B% D,== %C,0% LARNA3A A,CC C,DB B,10 -0,%0 %0,B0 B,0% -0,BD C,1/ 1,-D -%,D/ B,1= %A,0= 1D,AC --,=C -=,0%0,=B LE!ESOS %C,A%0,0% %0,=/ -D,=0 %%,AC %=,%/ %A,B1 %B,/B -0,AC 1%,10 A,10 =%,=D 1A,1A 1A,A= =A,-A %/,00 PAFOS =/,D= A-,1% %0,CC %C,%/ =/,DB CC,/0 %C,DB -B,D=,/B C,0% %,DB -C,-A -,1A 1,B0 =,%1 11,=0 LEF3OSIA 0,/0,=% 0,=B 1,11 %,0= %,DD 0,=% A,== 0,/1 -C,-/ 0,1% %,D= %,-% D,/C %A,=0 -,BC HILL RESORTS 0,0D 0,-C 0,0/ 1,0% 0,-0 0,%=

Source: Tourist Survey 2001 The stren$th of the appeal of a destination to tourists is critically linked to the type and quality of <activities3 it offers. #t is the activities that Cyprus offers that will stimulate an interest in visitin$ the country. ore reasons should be $iven to potential visitors to

come to Cyprus. 'ne e5tremely important way of achievin$ this is to develop a wide ran$e of special interest tourism products. This is important because it not only tar$ets those who pursue a special interest and therefore, opens up new market potential but it also attracts individual with a more $eneralist holiday in mind. 7&trate$ic ;lan For Tourism -0%09 re$ardin$ &pecial #nterest ;roducts, focuses on the creation of products that can project the uniqueness of Cyprus as a destination.

-1

The &pecial #nterest ;roducts will act as attractors to the destination, which of the same time they will offer opportunities for activities and entertainment. #n this case it does not $enerate new business but it does lead to a hi$her level of satisfaction. For e5ample, a person may seek a resort-based holiday but also be attracted by the additional prospect of walkin$ in the Troodos ountains. #t is an additional incentive and can result

in providin$ that e5tra reason to choose one destination from another.

CHAPTER 6 RECO!!ENDATIONS - CONCLUSION

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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 improvin$ the quality of Cyprus tourism products. Theoretically, based on secondary data, this necessity offers stron$ future $rowth and diversification of the tourism industry. "s far as primary data are concerned, due to time constraints, limited data relatin$ to the topic, this research methodolo$y based its findin$ 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.

6#1 Reco))e$%&tio$s
The followin$ recommendations represent the researchers3 own beliefs. They represent theoretical solution in the sense that they have not been tested in practice, which means that it is not possible to determine whether they could be successful or not. 2owever, researchers believe that it is worth considerin$ these recommendations. The stren$th of the appeal of a destination to tourists is critically linked to the type and quality of <activities3 it offers. #t is the activities that Cyprus offers that will stimulate an interest in visitin$ the country. #n $eneral, the demands for the other components of travel *transport, accommodation and so on+ derive from the ori$inal stimulus that comes from the interest in e5periencin$ the activities. &pecial interest tourism is concerned with individuals and small $roups who take a holiday with the primary purpose of followin$ a

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pursuit that are of particular interest to them. The special interest products will act as attractors to the destination. These products could be football $rounds, $olf courses, a$ro tourism, themed routes, etc. "thens 'lympic ,ame in -00= provides very $ood opportunities to Cyprus to attract the sport tourism se$ment, for e5ample.

6#2 9u&(it' &$% V&(ue1&%%e% A77ro&ch

The approach for quality and value-added in tourist e5perience seeks to contain the erosion of the competitive position of the tourist sector. The offer of a better 7value for money9 and the improved relation between quality and price will be pursued throu$h the ma5imi)ation of the visitor3s satisfaction, the provision of a rich tourist e5perience, 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.

6# Issues for Further Rese&rch

(hen collectin$ primary data, the authors did meet some problems. Firstly, many tourists could not understand !n$lish. any of them speak ,erman. This made our

research more difficult. &o we su$$est that in the further research questionnaires should be written in more lan$ua$es, includin$ !n$lish, ,erman, French, etc. &econdly, it is difficult to find a suitable place, such as a table, for tourists to answer the questionnaires even tourists would like to answer them. #n the further research, this should be taken into consideration. Thirdly, because the research was conducted in winter, most tourists3 a$es are above forty. &o the research can only reflect small percenta$e of youn$ persons3

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thou$hts. #t is one of the limitations. #t is su$$ested that the research should try to cover all a$e $roups in the further study. Finally, this research had fairly limited time to be completed. The ran$e of time was only limited in three months, which is the off-season of Cyprus tourism. &o it is su$$ested for further researches that studies time could cover one tourist year for the reason of further understandin$ Cyprus tourist products.

8I8LIO+RAPH"

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>ryman, ". *-00%+: Soci&( Rese&rch !etho%s. Iew Kork: '5ford Gniversity ;ress. >ryman, "., %/BB. 9u&$tit' &$% 9u&(it' i$ Soci&( Rese&rch. ,reat >ritain: .outled$e. Clark ., et al. , %//B# Rese&rchi$g &$% Writi$g Dissert&tio$s i$ Hos7it&(it' &$%

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Pr&ctice. (est &usse5: Mohn (iley and &ons 6td. CT' *-000+: A$$u&( Re7ort 2444# CT' *-00-+: Str&tegic P(&$ For Touris) 2414@ AEBecuti<e Su))&r'C. http:EEwww.$oo$le.comE http:EEwww.pio.$ov.cyE http:EEwww.yahoo.comE http:EEwww.world.tourism.or$E 2uff, 8., %//1. HoD to Lie Dith St&tistics. G&": Iorton. Moseph 8. Frid$en, ;h.8. *%//C+: Touris) A$% The Hos7it&(it' I$%ustr'. Oane, !., %//A. Doi$g "our OD$ Rese&rch. ,reat >ritain. Oafralides, ;. -00%. Agro touris)E Tr&%itio$&( ho(i%&' ho)es, Cyprus. alhorta, I. O. *%//1+: !&r>eti$g Rese&rch? A$ A77(ie% Orie$t&tio$. -nd edition. G&": prentice 2all #nternational !ditions. arin, C. *-000+: NeD Touris) Ch&((e$ges o$ Is(&$%s? Resources Ris>s &$% Possi.i(ities i$ the I$for)&tio$ Societ', The Canary #slands !5perience.

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attew 2ampton. -000. Travel (eekly, Night fe<er gri7s the %&$ce $&tio$, Manuary 1%. ;#': C'7rus 111 EU Re(&tio$s? The Eco$o)'. "vailable from: http:EEwww.cosmosnet.EnetECyprusEeconomyElefta-.html ;#': C'7rus111 The Is(&$%? Nicosi&E Le)essosE P&fosE A))ochostosE Troo%os# "vailable from: http:EEwww.comosnet.EnetEa)iasEcyprusEb-$eo.html Feal, "., %//D. Rese&rch !etho%s For (eisure A$% Touris), -nd edition. ,reat >ritain: ;itman ;ublishin$. (T' Iews >ulletin: *-00%+: Less Free Ti)e !e&$s !ore Di<ersit'# "vailablefrom:http:EEwww.world-tourism.or$EnewsroomEreleasesEmorereleasesE.0%0-/0%.html (T' *-00-+: " Kear "fter 7%%-&9: C(i).i$g ToD&r%s Reco<er'#

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