SPORTS TOURISM to Cyprus has generated around €14 million from January 2009 until April this year, the head of the Cyprus Sports Federation (KOA) announced yesterday.

According to Nicos Kartakoullis, in 2009, Cyprus hosted a number of sporting events – such as the 13th Games of the Small States of Europe – as well as athletes and visiting fans. This resulted in an income of between €13 million and €15 million. <BLOG_BREAK>

“For the KOA, sports tourism is important for two reasons: firstly because it supports the tourism industry and secondly because it contributes to further developing Cyprus sports, through the various exchanges,” said Kartakoullis.

He added that Cyprus had two competitive advantages in efforts to attract sports tourism: it has very good sporting substructures and favourable weather conditions.

“Cyprus is among the priorities of foreign athletes when it comes to preparing for outdoor sports, such as swimming, cycling and football,” said Kartakoullis.

“With better coordination from all involved bodies, Cyprus will be able to upgrade its tourist product when it comes to sports, as the sector has the best services to offer.”

As published on April 29, 2010 by Cyprus Mail

An excellent piece of news indeed!

This should really put Cyprus on the map in the philately department...

     

 

We now have available the latest rock sample collection from the famous Troodos Ophiolite sequence.

Sadly, the collection is now down from 16 to 15 samples as one item is becoming scarce and the goverment have issued a notice to stop harvesting for a while.

You will find geological survey maps, guide books on Troodos mountain range, geology book by Ron Dutton (slips easily into a pocket) and the Ophiolite sample collection all available in our shop soon.

Meanwhile, I have some images taken from a day up Troodos - following the Chrome Mine trail

CYPRIOT artists and sportsmen are gearing up for the 6th ‘Jeux de la Francophonie’ or Francophone Games in Lebanon this month. It will be the first time the teams have been eligible to compete in the games since Cyprus' accession to the International Francophone Organisation in 2006.

The four-yearly games bring together around 3000 competitors from 70 French speaking countries and consist of seven sports and an array of artistic events.

Cyprus will compete in two sporting events, basketball and beach volleyball. The women's basketball squad will be made up from Limassol's KV Imperial AEL, and the beach volleyball teams drawn from the male and female national squads. Two referees, Antonis Demetrios and Marinos Panayi will also be travelling to Lebanon for the sporting events. Demetrious will referee the basketball, and Panayi the football.

Cyprus will also participate in two of the cultural events. Sebough Voskeritchian, a photographer from Limassol, will represent Cyprus in the photographic event and Alexis Vagianos, a painter who has exhibited in Nicosia's K-Gallery, will showcase their work. Other artistic events will include sculpture, photography, music, dance, literature, painting, and storytelling.

Andreas Demetriou, The Minister for Education and Culture, said yesterday: "Sport is one of the cornerstones of cultural integration. Indeed for us Greeks this is both an experience and a belief, because the Olympics started out in Greece as a cultural event. Greek Culture and the culture of the Olympics are closely related, and they embody the principles of fair play, solidarity and international unity that mankind strives towards."

During the Games, Cyprus will also present a photographic exhibition entitled "Archaeological sites and monuments of Cyprus, a World Heritage Site." 

Demetriou added: "The participation of our country at the Games of the Francophonie is a very important event for our country as it will help the promotion of Cyprus in Francophonic countries and the development of the existing bilateral agreement with Lebanon for cultural and scientific cooperation."

The games, which first took place in 1989 in Morocco, will run from 27th September to the 6th October 2009.