Agro-tourism
As the name implies, agro-tourism breaks are about enjoying the natural environment of village life.
The concept relies on entirely unspoilt surroundings. Libra Holidays managing director Andreas Drakou was worried that by offering agro-tourism breaks to small Cypriot villages such as the one he was born in, they may not stay all that unspoilt for long.
“We have had to market our agro-tourism product very carefully, so as to attract the discerning traveller,” said Drakou.
“The Cyprus Tourism Organisation has tried hard to develop this kind of tourism properly. It will never be a mass-market type of break,” he added.
Libra has launched its first dedicated agro-tourism programme, with a 36-page brochure offering year-round self-drive holidays.
For those who want to get away from it all with an agro-tourism break, but find the comfort and convenience of a hotel all too appealing, Libra is offering a number of three-star properties right in the mountains.
These give holidaymakers a base to explore and take part in outdoor pursuits without worrying about catering for themselves.
The lead-in for seven nights’ bed and breakfast at the Roden Mount Hotel in Agros is £380, for May 1 departures.
For a more rustic approach, Olga’s Katoi, a house in the village of Kalopanagrotis, costs from £339 based on three people sharing, room only.
Agro-tourism is also a key market for Sunvil. Houses are available with or without a pool in a variety of small villages and a car is always included in the price of the break, allowing clients free rein of the island.
“It’s not an easy market to operate in but it is one that suits our clients,” said contracts manager Ellie D’Agostino.
A seven-night break at the self-catering Villa Iomani in Peyia leads in at £617 for departures during July and August .
Golf holidays
The golfing industry in Cyprus is still relatively young – the island’s two courses were both built in the last three years and are maturing only now.
Nevertheless, response has been good and the Secret Valley Golf Course has been highly rated by golfers and the media alike.
Dedicated golfing holidays at both of Cyprus’ courses are pre-bookable in the UK through a number of operators including Olympic, Amathus, Cyprair, Sunvil and Argo.
Green fees are the same for both the Tsada Golf Club and The Secret Valley Golf Course, starting at £16 in low season.
Cyprair offers a winter lead-in of £369 on its four-night golf packages with seven nights available at £459. The package includes flights, bed-and-breakfast at the Basilica Complex in Paphos, two rounds of golf for the four-day stay and four rounds for the five-day stay.
Active breaks
With year-round sunshine almost guaranteed, Cyprus offers a range of sporting activities, from walking and mountain biking to horse riding and diving.
All-inclusive breaks cater well for the casual enthusiast. Argo offers an all-inclusive lead-in of £455 for a seven night stay at the three-star Hotel Plaka on the outskirts of Latchi. The hotel’s programme varies depending on the season, though 15 guided walks and five mountain biking trails are available. Excursions for botanists, geologists and archaeologists as well as bird-watching tours are also offered.
For fitness enthusiasts, JMC offers a number of all-inclusive properties with health-clubs and sports facilities on site.
The Hotel Pavlo Napa in Ayia Napa has a gym, basketball and tennis courts for guests’ use and organised activities such as aerobics, volleyball and waterpolo. There is also a weekly scuba demonstration.
The seven night lead-in for May 1 departures is £525.
Multi-Centres
“One of Cyprus’ main advantages is that it is well positioned for multi-centre breaks,” said Sunvil Holidays contracts manager Ellie D’Agostino.
Sunvil is not the only operator to have cottoned on to this – many now offer a variety of cruising or multi-centre breaks, most often benefiting from the island’s proximity to North Africa and the Holy Land.
Sunvil offers cruising itineraries for summer 2000 which combine Cyprus with Egypt. The company is also offering short stays in the Lebanon.
Breaks like these could be sold as a bolt-on to a typical Cyprus package.
Sunvil’s lead-in price for a cruise disembarking from Cyprus and calling at Cairo, Luxor, Edfu, Aswan and Kom Ombo in Egypt starts at £572.
Cyplon offers a number of cruise and stay packages through Louis Cruise Lines. The seven night lead-in price of £545 includes five nights’ bed and breakfast at the five-star Apollonia Hotel in Limassol and a two night all-inclusive cruise to the Holy Land.