ETAP holds the first seminar on religious and cultural tourism in Paphos

The Tourism Development and Promotion Company of the Paphos region (ETAP) is holding its first thematic seminar in Paphos from September 22 to 24 as part of the European project RESPECT.

The seminar’s topic is “Religious buildings, monuments, and sacred sites as significant elements of sustainable cultural tourism development.” The meeting will showcase partners’ best practices and discuss the role of religious resources and cultural routes for sustainable tourism development, as well as project activities and initiatives.

The project is implemented under the Interreg Europe program and aims to study, analyze, develop, and promote policies and products related to religious, spiritual, and pilgrimage tourism in European destinations with a focus on sustainability, digitalization, innovation, and resilience to challenges.

According to ETAP, the Paphos seminar features 16 partners from eight countries. Partners from Greece, Cyprus, Romania, Norway, Sweden, Hungary, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Moldova, and Belgium are participating in the project.

The project is 80% funded by the European Union, planned for 36 months, with a total budget of €2,000,000. ETAP expects to attract up to €200,000. For Paphos, an important initiative is the inclusion of the “In the Footsteps of Apostle Paul” route in the Council of Europe’s list of cultural routes.