A total of 83 projects worth pound 3.2 million were implemented under the first call of the Rural Area Revitalisation Scheme, while other 152 projects worth pound 7 million were carried out under the second call, Deputy Tourism Minister, Kostas Koumis, said on Friday.
Addressing the 4th Pan-Cyprian Harvest Cultural Festival at the central square of Acheritou village, in Famagusta district, Koumis stressed that supporting communities which are near to the buffer zone is a government priority. Cyprus has been divided since 1974, when Turkish troops invaded and occupied 37% of its territory and the UN-controlled buffer zone stretches 180 kilometers across the island from east to west.
He referred to housing incentives, the use of state-owned land and the allocation of plots to families, as well as opportunities to expand existing homes.
Koumis said that seven projects worth more than pound 476,000 had been implemented in the government-controlled Famagusta district under the revitalisation scheme. These included projects in Deryneia, Frenaros, Achna, Avgorou and Liopetri. In addition, a total of pound 124,000 was allocated to the Thematic Water Park and the renovated children’s park in the Municipality of Paralimni-Deryneia.
He also said that the Acheritou Harvest Festival had been included in the Deputy Ministry of Tourism’s ‘Heartland of Legends’ thematic route and was being promoted to local and foreign visitors as an experience showcasing the Cypriot countryside.
Koumis noted that the Deputy Ministry sought to attract visitors from Protaras and Ayia Napa to inland areas through thematic routes and activities highlighting local traditions and agricultural practices.
Referring to the festival’s significance, Koumis said that the reenactment of harvesting, threshing and winnowing helped preserve Acheritou’s historical memory and agricultural heritage.