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Eligibility Criteria
The objective of the EUs Destinations of
Excellence project “is to draw attention to the value, diversity and
shared characteristics of European tourist destinations and to promote
destinations where the economic growth objective is pursued in such a
way as to ensure the social, cultural and environmental sustainability
of tourism.”
The 2007 theme of the project is Best Emerging Rural Tourism
Destination. Interested regions are invited to submit their applications
for this award, which will be judged by a committee of experts in
Cyprus, and validated by the European Commission.
The Cyprus Tourism Organisation has developed the following Eligibility
Criteria as a guide for regions interested in participating in this
event.
1. The Destination / Region
A “tourist destination” is a coherent geographic region with an
identifiable cultural, environmental and social heritage which has been
presented and interpreted in a methodic way. Implicit in this definition
is that a tourist will live in the destination during his or her stay in
Cyprus, for at least part of the time. Furthermore, this destination
should be accessible to day visits and excursions.
In line with national policy, the destination is located in an eligible
rural region of the Republic of Cyprus, as specified by the Structural
Funds Programmes, Objective 2. Please refer to the complete list of
eligible regions in Annex I.
The destination does not have to be within a single administrative area
(see Section 2, below), but may span multiple koinotites or villages,
providing there is a coherent theme connecting the wider area. This
theme may have two elements, although applicants are invited to define
their own theme:
- A geographic theme, e.g. “The North Valley”
- An product-related theme, e.g. “The Wine Villages of Cyprus”
In the case of a product theme, the applicants should bear in mind that
the destination must have a geographic indication, and that the award
will be given in the name of a region, e.g. Best Emerging Rural
Destination Cyprus – North Valley.
The destination must possess tourism infrastructure and attractions
which are of interest to potential international and Cypriot visitors.
Examples of these include:
- A diverse accommodation base, including licensed hotels and agrotourism houses;
- Well-preserved traditional architecture;
- Man-made sites of historic interest, such as monasteries,
fortifications, etc.;
- Environmental sites, such as forests, waterfalls, caves, nature
trails, etc.;
- Traditional restaurants or tavernas serving authentic Cypriot cuisine;
- Artisans, tradespeople, or shops which demonstrate traditional arts
and crafts, and illuminate rural traditions;
- Athletic and cultural events, festivals, conferences
- Traditional agricultural professions, such as wineries, beekeepers,
cheese-making, etc.;
Priority will be given to applicants who have a wide range of different
attractions and infrastructure, providing a number of options for
visitors.
2. The Applicant Organisation
All applications for the Best Emerging Rural Tourism Destination –
Cyprus award must be a legally-defined body which is located in one of
the eligible regions. These include:
- A commune (koinotita) or municipality located in the eligible regions;
- A non-governmental organisation (NGO), registered according to Cypriot
law;
- A duly-recognised group, such as the Local Action Groups established
for the EU LEADER programme, or the periohes established for the CTO
rural development programme;
- A private company, acting on behalf of a nominated region.
Evidence of legal definition is, in case of NGOs or companies, statutes
of association (katastatiko).
In exceptional circumstances, and only with the prior approval of CTO,
an organisation not headquartered in the eligible region could act as an
applicant organisation. Such cases could include recognised, accredited
organisations such as museums, regional associations, NGOs, or other
interest groups, which may be based in a city, but which may represent
an eligible region.
Applicants may include groups of organisations working together. In this
case, the group must nominate a single lead organisation, who will act
as the counterpart to the CTO for the purposes of this project.
In each case, the applicant must act on behalf of a wider group of
stakeholders. The Best Emerging Rural Destinations Award cannot be
directly used for the individual commercial gain of a private company,
e.g. a hotel.
Priority will be given to applicants who have prior experience in
organising development partnerships under the Structural Funds, LIFE,
Natura, LEADER, Europa Nostra, or other national, EU, UN or other
international initiatives.
3. Applicant Managerial Capacity
The award “Best Emerging Rural Destination Cyprus” will create a
significant marketing impact within Cyprus and internationally,
resulting in tourists and other visitors. For this reason, it is
essential that the applicant to possess sufficient managerial capacity
to benefit from the award and manage the ensuing development.
The following criteria are considered necessary for participation:
- The support of multiple local stakeholders dedicated to a common
objective of local, sustainable tourism development. Such stakeholders
should include entrepreneurs, local officials, community groups and
other people with a direct stake in development.
- The presence of at least one permanent staff member or coordinator,
based in the region, who can lead the process of tourism development.
This person should speak Greek and at least one foreign language,
preferably English.
- Possession of an equipped office, with a PC, printer, email connection
and other facilities necessary to work with tour operators, travel
agents, hotels and other intermediaries.
- Evidence of prior project activities in the field of tourism
development, heritage develop-ment or similar initiatives.
- A diverse accommodation base, enabling tourists to find and rent
accommodation of different types (e.g. licensed hotels, agrotourism
houses, villas, other) either directly or through intermediaries such as
travel agents, tour operators or online accommodation sites.
- Each applicant will be asked to describe their long-term plan for
sustainable tourism development.
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