Akamas:
The Easternmost Natural Area Of Europe
DISAPPEARING
AKAMAS: GOING, GOING...GONE?
By Paul E
Hardisty
The familiar
chant of the auctioneer: going once, going twice... To the highest bidder
goes the prize. Much has been written in this newspaper and others about the
Akamas Peninsula, southern Cyprus’ last un-developed coastal area: its
beauty, the species of plants found nowhere else, the endangered seals and
turtles that once frequented its waters. In 1995, the World Bank
recommended that 230 square kilometres of the peninsula be protected as a
national park, for all to enjoy in perpetuity. But successive governments
have failed to act, and now it is being carved up for the auction block, piece
by piece. An irreplaceable part of Cyprus’ natural heritage is being sold
off to the highest bidder.
A short drive
along the coast road from the town of Polis, on the fringes of the Agamas, to
the Baths of Aphrodite, the main tourist gateway to the Akamas, tells the
story. Just four years ago, this was a wild coastline of sweeping beaches
and rocky points framing deep blue coves, a known nesting area for endangered
Green and Loggerhead turtles. But now, one is confronted with an ever
thickening density of villas, apartments, storefronts and hotels. First it
was the strip between Polis and the once quiet fishing village of Latchi.
Then, development began encroaching within the boundaries of the proposed
park. The Anassa hotel, playground of the rich and privileged, now
dominates this part of the coastline. Its massive white bulk can be seen for
miles in either direction and well out to sea. Following this example, other
developers have now started putting up clusters of exclusive luxury villas
even further along the coast, well into Agamas proper. Villas in this area
are selling for as much as £ 350,000 and more, putting them well beyond the
range of average citizens. These are the reserves of the very wealthy, who
long ago abandoned the over-crowded and over-developed resorts of Spain and
Greece, in their never-ending quest for the next “unspoiled” beauty spot.
But like the others, as soon as this one has been discovered, they will move
on, leaving just another Costa Del Sol, another Agia Napa, a landscape of
concrete boxes, asphalt, souvenir stores, bars, and nightclubs. The paradox,
of course, is that they destroy the very thing they came to enjoy in the first
place.
This mass
market, low revenue, sun-and-sea tourism model has dominated the market in
Cyprus and other Mediterranean countries now for decades. The results are
there to be seen. As Joni Mitchell famously sang, they have “paved paradise
and put up a parking lot”. Thankfully, times may be changing. Research
shows that increasingly sophisticated holiday makers are looking for a more
authentic, culturally diverse and exciting vacation. They are also tending
to care more about the environment and their impact on it. Environmentally
responsible tourism is becoming an important part of the market, and
increasingly tourists are recognising the impact that their spending choices
can have on environmental and social issues in other countries. The
individual can make a difference. The Cyprus Tourism Organisation (CTO)’s own
plans call for a shifting emphasis away from quantity and towards quality.
On November 5, 2003, President Papadopulous announced plans to increase annual tourism
revenue to £1.8 billion, and arrivals to 3.5 million, by 2010. This
represented a downward revision of half a million arrivals a year, compared to
the previous
CTO plan. The
new plan places more emphasis on increasing revenue per visit, rather than
simply stuffing more people into more hotels. This means attracting
holidaymakers who are willing to pay a premium for authentic travel
experiences. A wild unspoiled Agamas, protected as a National Park,
available for all to visit and enjoy, provides a perfect setting for this kind
of high-value tourism. Without it, Cyprus becomes a much poorer travel
choice. The Akamas Peninsula is unique, one of the very last undeveloped
Mediterranean coastal ecosystems. It does not take an economist to realise
that extraordinary places of outstanding beauty translate directly into
economic value. Such places can be exploited for economic benefit in two
possible ways: Either developed for the short term pleasure of the wealthy
and the short term gain of a few developers, or protected for the long-term
enjoyment of all, and the sustained economic benefit of many.
On a recent
mountain-bike trek into the Akamas with my family, we met a Swiss couple
enjoying one of the lovely isolated beaches a few kilometres in from the Baths
of Aphrodite. In their late thirties, obviously well-educated and
prosperous, they were typical of the type of tourists that Cyprus wants to
attract. They had chosen Cyprus specifically because of the Agamas, to see
some real Mediterranean landscape, hike and cycle in the fresh air, and swim
in clear water, away from the crowds. They explained that they were shocked
by the development in other parts of the island, and since arriving had learnt
that the hotel in which they were staying had actually been built within the
proposed Akamas park boundaries. They were appalled, and told us in no
uncertain terms that they would never stay in that hotel again, and
furthermore would tell all of their friends and their travel agent to avoid
accommodation built within the Akamas itself. This view is growing among the
type of clientele that the government says it wants to attract. Nicholas
Havers, a travel writer, says that Mediterranean Holidays magazine, with a
circulation of over 500,000 in the UK alone, has stopped accepting articles on
Cyprus, partly because they have learnt that the government had approved
development in Fontana Amorosa and other parts of Agamas.
If the
government is serious about curbing the decline in tourism in Cyprus, and in
making real its plans to attract higher-end tourism, bringing more revenue
with fewer visits, then protection of the Agamas should be made a priority.
Otherwise, the erosion in tourism visits and revenues currently being
experienced will likely continue. The economic stakes are high. Tourism
accounts for almost 20 percent of the country’s GNP. Competition for high-end
high-value tourism is fierce all over the world. Closer to home,
competition from the North is set to increase. Since 1974, the pace of
development in Northern Cyprus has been much slower than in the South, and
tourism has languished. Consequently its natural spaces are better
preserved. Since the opening of the border, tourism in the North has
boomed. People are going for the clean open beaches, spacious views, and
uncluttered charm of Cyprus as it once was. The Karpass peninsula is another
Akamas. A magnificent untouched stretch of sandy white beaches, wind-sculpted
dunes and pine forests, with almost no trace of human disturbance. People
want to enjoy this kind of place. The word is out. There are not many places
in the south of the island that can compete in the beauty sweepstakes. With
the Akamas gone, the North will enjoy a tremendous tourism advantage, and the
trickle of tourists flowing North will become a flood.
But protection
of the Akamas is more than simply a matter of common sense and good
economics. The Akamas is a natural area of international importance, a
critical part of plans to protect and preserve remaining European ecosystems
for future generations. The Natura 2000 network, which Cyprus is adopting as
part of its accession to the Union, has called for the protection of the
Akamas along the lines of the World Bank’s landmark 1995 report. The
Permanent Committee of the Bern Convention has repeatedly asked Cyprus to
comply with its recommendations on the protection of the Akamas coastline.
So far, the response has been slow and incomplete. And in the meantime,
private interests acting on their own initiative are eating away at the
Peninsula, eroding its ecological integrity. The government of Cyprus has a
wonderful opportunity now to boost tourism and the prosperity of the country,
while at the same time creating a legacy for the future which will doubtless
be applauded for lifetimes to come. But if we do not act soon, the chance to
preserve this unique and valuable piece of the real Cyprus will disappear
forever.
PEH
November, 2003
Nicosia
1360 words