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
CYP
Cross Receipts from Tourism 1991-2001
1400 1200 1000 800 600 400 200 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.
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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.
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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
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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.
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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
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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 52%
Female 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 18---27 28---37 38---47 OVER 48
PERCENTAGE 12% 23% 31% 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 U.K GERMANY NORWAY SWEDEN DUTCH SWISS ITALY SPAIN IRISH AUSTRALIA KOREA
PERCENTAGE 23% 20% 16% 12% 8% 5% 5% 4% 3% 2% 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 RETIRED
PERCENTAGE % 42% 18% 6% 5% 4% 25%
HOUSEWIFE ENGINEER PUBLIC SERVICE TEACHER OTHERS
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%
25%
28%
27%
25% 18%
20% 15% 10%
2%
5% 0% Historical heritage
Culture and Custom s
Scenery
Others
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? 73%
80% 70% 60% 50% 40%
3.
30% 20%
16%
8%
2%
10%
1%
0% Very satisfied
Satisfied
Generally satisfied
Very dissatisfied
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% 10%
5%
1%
0% very pleased
pleased
fairly
not very displeased 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
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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 very conveinent for tourists.
4. 50%
42%
40% 26%
30% 20% 10%
17% 9%
6%
0% strongly agree
agree
strangly disagree
disagree
others, 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. 49%
50% 40% 30%
23%
18%
20%
5%
10%
5%
0% strongly agree
agree
strangly disagree disagree
others, please specify
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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%
45%
50% 40% 30% 20%
6%
10% 0%
2%
strongly agree
agree
0%
strangly disagree others, 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.
Cyprus is an ideal place for holding meetings, wedding and honeymoon.
Figure 9
52%
60% 50%
37%
40% 30% 20% 10%
7%
3%
1%
0% strongly agree
agree
strangly disagree disagree
others, please specify
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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. 72%
80% 60% 40%
18%
20% 0%
0% strongly agree
6%
4% agree
strangly disagree
disagree
others, 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%
1%
2%
6%
0% very high
high
very low
low
fairly
weakness in the drastic competition today. Figure 11
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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%
10%
4%
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.
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Table 5
Tourist Arrivals By Country Country
Year 2001
Percentage %
1486700
55.13%
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%
51232
1.90%
36676
1.36%
50795
1.88%
United Kingdom Germany
Countries in Eastern Europe Israel Arab Countries Other Countries All Countries
72139
2.68%
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.
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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 STAY MAIN COUNTRIES UNITED KINDOM GERMANY SWITZERLAND FRANCE HOLLAND BELGIUM AUSTRIA ITALY IRELAND GREECE NORDIC COUNTRY RUSSIA + OTHER ESN COUNTRY IN EASTERM EU ISRAEL ARAB COUNTRIES ALL COUNTRIES
AGIA NAPA
LARNAKA
LEMESOS
PAFOS
LEFKOSIA
11,96 7,88 15,56 4,43 4,13 0,32 8,71 13,36 22,43 2,98
9,38 15,08 51,97 5,05 9,67 1,39 32,54 18,89 45,48 1,99
5,66 6,78 8,30 20,10 10,80 8,01 20,87 6,39 3,27 21,79
16,52 10,01 10,49 27,40 11,56 14,19 15,83 18,98 20,56 31,30
49,74 52,31 10,66 16,19 49,78 66,90 16,78 28,72 4,98 6,01
0,92 0,41 0,48 3,33 1,04 1,77 0,41 5,44 0,93 26,29
34,92
48,39
8,34
5,30
1,78
0,31
1,16
10,86
15,04
41,47
26,25
1,74
4,29
18,18
37,56
35,35
2,35
1,21
-
22,81
22,46
35,54
3,80
7,96
0,46
7,44
24,02
45,25
4,13
15,40
10,58
16,01
10,48
19,00
33,40
2,86
PARALIMNI
HILL RESORTS 0,07 0,26 0,09 3,01 0,20 0,14
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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.
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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,
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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.
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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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BIBLIOGRAPHY
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