On Thursday 20 June, the Cypriot Parliament held a session in which MPs discussed the updated version of the Glamping Bill.
As a result, the majority of them did not support the Ministry of Tourism's initiative. This means that, for the time being, the ministry will not be able to attract tourists interested in camping holidays to the island.
Specifically, 21 MPs voted in favour, while 27 voted against. The MPs said that glamping actually shields people from nature and real camping, promotes over-consumption, wealth and luxury, and threatens natural resources.
Glamping is a type of camping that combines the comfort of a hotel room with the opportunity to relax in nature.
It is recalled that the Cyprus Ministry of Tourism wanted to open numerous glamping sites in the Troodos mountains and in the interior of the island, which would be divided into 4 main categories:
- Luxury,
- First class
- Second class
- Other - budget option).
The law drafted by the authority set strict criteria for the operation of glamping sites, in order to prevent uncontrolled development and damage to nature. The law stipulated that Cypriot glamping sites must be certified and awarded the EU Ecolabel category within two years of the first operating licence being issued. The launch of the Alternative Holiday Options project was expected to help create new jobs and stem the exodus of people from villages to cities. However, the implementation of this initiative is now in serious doubt. It is not yet clear whether the ministry will continue to promote it, as this was the second attempt to gain the support of Cypriot MPs.
The first version of the bill was rejected by the Cypriot parliament in the summer. A year later, a new version was submitted to MPs. The vote was postponed in order to finalise it.