Larnaca Ecotourism and Its Development in Modern Days

The island of North Cyprus provides an array of historical attractions for travelers interested in learning the history of the country. However, some of the most notable sites include Kourion, which is romantically located on a coastal cliff with stunning views of the Mediterranean and the countryside. Importantly, the site boasts of the House of Eustolios and a modern theater, which has a collection of beautiful and well-preserved mosaics. At the same time, St. Hilarion Castle, an ancient fort ruins lying next to the Mediterranean holds several interesting myths and legends. Nevertheless, the most common myth is that a fairy queen that spent much of her time charming local shepherds built it. Fortunately, the large chambers and ramparts wind up the mountains giving explorers an exemplary view if they choose to climb to the top. Despite the modern development of the Larnaca as a seaside resort, the site has managed to hold on to its local soul (Lee, 2016). Besides presenting travelers with modern beach fun, the Larnaca contains the elaborate Agios Lazaros and the crumbling Turkish quarter.

Even though the Karpas Peninsula does not provide any form of public transport, it provides visitors with numerous attractions in both undeveloped and undiscovered old island life. Further, the Ancient Salamis have vast archaeological sites, which host extensive marble ruins. Interestingly, the site holds ruins from different eras such as Byzantine churches, Gymnasium, and humongous reservoir (Lee, 2016). In this regard, destination marketers assure visitors of numerous choices for places yet to encounter massive human interaction. Although the sites might not have public transport, the sides are accessible from different locations such Nicosia and have roads usable by cars.

The development of attraction sites for specific target markets especially the wealthy has enormous negative environmental effects. As a result, destination marketers from different parts of the world have adopted a different strategy by advertising several destinations in their original forms to limit environmental degradation. According to Esenyel, Ostapchuk, & Dikmen (2013), the Karpaz Region has invested in ecotourism to increase the benefits of foreign travels to the locals of Northern Cyprus. As such, several organizations such as the Friends of Karpaz Association, the Buyukkonuk Ecotourism Association, the KOBI Centre, and Management Centre play an integral role in developing sustainable tour sites that attract visitors from diverse lifestyles.

In this way, the marketers do not change the culture of the people to suit the needs of foreigners as they involve communities in the activities to create a balanced economy. Importantly, members of the community utilize their skills to earn a living by creating products that meet the needs of foreigners. In most cases, such products do not require academic skills to manufacture which enhances the involvement of all people including women in tourism. For these reasons, destination marketers count on the support of locals to create attractions that would otherwise be unnoticed by travelers. In addition, DMOs face minimal resistance from local communities in their bid to improve the quality of the people's lives. Even though people from the Dipkarpaz village believe that ecotourism does not have any active economic effects, residents of the Buyukkonuk Village contend that the strategy has massive social and economic outcomes (Esenyel, Ostapchuk, & Dikmen, 2013). In any case, ecotourism in the region reduces the influence of multinational corporations that establish five-star hotels to increase the market share and profitability of their organizations at the expense of the local communities.