Small Cyprus tourism businesses struggle with green transition

Local climate crisiscyprusenvironmenteuTop News Small Cyprus tourism businesses struggle with green transition Meletes Aktis 1 Relevant News Small Cyprus tourism businesses struggle with green transition 26 July 2026 Iran war spreads to Red Sea and Caspian, Gulf quiet as US forgoes strikes 26 July 2026 Rescuers scour South China Sea for 23 missing after Vietnamese vessel sinks 26 July 2026 Dora Christodoulou 26 July 2026 FacebookXWhatsAppEmailPrintViber By mid-2026, as debate intensifies over the difficulty of meeting the EU’s climate targets, small tourism businesses in Cyprus are fighting an unequal battle to adapt to a new climate-neutral economy. Twenty small Cypriot hospitality and catering businesses shared the main obstacles they face in making the green transition, as well as possible solutions, through a participatory process coordinated by the Akti Project and Research Centre. Referring to the findings, the organisation’s communications officer, Elisavet Felekidou, told Phileleftheros that businesses believe local Cypriot products remain underused. They cited Cypriot avocados as a clear example, saying they are not promoted sufficiently in the domestic market as a valuable superfood. Limited public education about their value also leaves consumers poorly informed and often more likely to choose imported products. Businesses proposed official recognition of local products by the Agriculture Ministry and their promotion by the Deputy Tourism Ministry. They also called for local products to be introduced in school canteens to strengthen children’s awareness as consumers. Bureaucracy surrounding the certification of organic products was identified as another serious obstacle to the sustainable operation of Cypriot businesses, according to Felekidou. Businesses said simpler, modernised procedures and on-site inspections would help ease a long-standing problem that reduces productivity and discourages investment in new and innovative ideas. Businesses in rural Cyprus also pointed to the lack of recycling bins as a striking obstacle to the sustainable management of their waste. They also questioned where recyclable materials ultimately end up. They proposed putting pressure on local authorities to install recycling bins at strategic locations and adopting a single, island-wide approach to sustainable waste management, Felekidou said. Businesses identified the lack of government guidance on sustainability as perhaps the most critical problem threatening the resilience of the tourism industry. The absence of systematic state support forces business owners to find their own ways of incorporating sustainable practices into their operations. Initiatives such as the Zero Waste HoReCa Network are seeking to fill that gap. The Zero Waste HoReCa Network is the first of its kind in Cyprus and was created with scientific support from the Akti Project and Research Centre to promote green growth in the island’s tourism industry, Felekidou said. The network currently has 350 members implementing sustainable practices in their operations. They have adopted expertise and technology in waste management, energy and water use, sustainable supply-chain practices and cooperation with local authorities. During its first few years, the Zero Waste HoReCa Network recorded savings of more than 50 million litres of water and more than 1,500 tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent. More than 900 tonnes of food waste and over 800 tonnes of recyclable materials were diverted from landfill, while network members introduced more than 650 sustainable practices, Felekidou said. She said the results showed that, despite serious environmental and economic challenges, sustainable operation of Cyprus’s tourism industry is both possible and necessary. Young people remain outside climate debate A second recent study by the Akti Project and Research Centre also examined the wider environmental issue. Using climate change as its focus, the project involved more than 3,500 people in Cyprus, Malta and Crete. Of these, 381 took part in targeted quantitative and qualitative research through local events and workshops. Based on the measurable data, the centre said young people today know more about the climate crisis than any previous generation. They have grown up with heatwaves, floods, live coverage of wildfires and a constant sense that the future is less secure than they had been promised. Yet even as the problem becomes more urgent than ever, young people continue to remain largely absent from democratic debate, the organisation said. In examining why young people do not take part in democratic discussion on the climate crisis, the study concluded that this disengagement, particularly among the young, is the result of systemic and structural barriers. A total of 67% of participants also viewed the lack of suitable infrastructure as a major obstacle to active participation and the green transition. Climate policy remains an abstract concept, disconnected from everyday life, which creates cynicism and a sense of futility. The absence of deposit-return recycling, inadequate public transport, limited access to green points and the high cost of environmentally friendly choices are all pushing young people away from the green transition, Akti said. Subscribe to our Newsletter Latest News Iran war spreads to Red Sea and Caspian, Gulf quiet as US forgoes strikes Rescuers scour South China Sea for 23 missing after Vietnamese vessel sinks Two arrested after 21-year-old injured in Limassol fight Electrical fault sparks house fire near Akaki Wildfires force evacuations outside Bordeaux as Spanish blazes cause first death UN chief’s visit delays Cyprus cabinet reshuffle as DIKO talks continue New British PM will be judged by his results, Cypriot diaspora president says Follow en.philenews on Google News and be the first to know all the news about Cyprus and the world.