Alternative and special interest tourism to mitigate the effects of tourism seasonality: the debate from Cyprus

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to explore efforts to create alternative and special interest tourism products and services in order to help mitigate the severe seasonality of sun and sea tourism that has affected the island nation of Cyprus for decades. Design/methodology/approach: The paper is qualitative in nature and provides a systematic data review of the efforts to create alternative and special interest tourism activities in Cyprus and the main challenges Cyprus faces. Findings: Findings reveal that for decades, policymakers and practitioners have made a significant effort to create alternatives to the traditional sun and sea tourism in the popular island destination of Cyprus. Further, different programs, initiatives, and projects have been undertaken to develop rural, health and wellness, wine and food, casino, religious, rural, sports and other types of tourism. These efforts mainly face challenges of insufficient demand and supply and they appear to have been hindered by a public sector “top-down” approach. Originality/value: The paper provides a systematic review of data relating to efforts to create alternative and special interest tourism activities and destinations in Cyprus and a discussion of the related challenges and opportunities.