The event followed a bilateral meeting  between Nikos Anastasiadis, president, Cyprus,  and António Costa, prime minister, Portugal, in 2019, during which it was decided the cooperation of the two countries and the exchange of best practices in the field of tourism sustainability. This was followed by the ‘Pan-European High Level Forum for Sustainable Tourism’ on  May 14 of this year, attended by EU Tourism Ministers.

Savvas Perdios, deputy minister of tourism, Cyprus, during his greeting at the event, referred to the National Tourism Strategy 2030, which focuses particularly on the countryside, mountains and remote areas, with specific actions to strengthen local communities, producers and craftsmen.

Perdios also referred to the promotion of traditional and modern handicraft and wine gastronomy workshops in the countryside and the path of authentic experiences, which passes exclusively through rural areas and will be presented for the first time in September. The route will encourage visitors to discover artists, traditional craftsmen, local producers, local products, authentic food, hospitable people and generally a variety of experiential experiences.