Restoration work has begun on the ancient port of occupied Kyrenia, which has been abandoned to its fate for years and often comes to the news with many structural problems.< /p>
According to the GTP, Dialog writes that in the framework of the 2nd and 3rd stage works, the problems of water supply, sewage, electricity and telephone infrastructure will be eliminated. The port will remain closed during the works, which are targeted to be completed before the start of the 2023 summer season.
The publication adds that work has begun on the restoration, maintenance and repair of the facades of the buildings in the port. In this context, the wooden structures, additions and all other crooked structures that have been built in front of the restaurants and cafes in the ancient port are removed and their facades are cleaned.
In order to support the businesses that will remain closed during the project period, a grant totaling 2 million 840 thousand TL will be given depending on the number of registered staff they employ.
It is also noted that the fourth and final stage of the project includes the privatization of the sea zone of the Ancient Port of Kyrenia.
In the meantime, the “Minister of Tourism, Culture, Youth and Environment”, Fikri Ataoglou, in his statements to the correspondent of the Ankara Anatolia (AA) news agency in the occupied territories, referred to their goals in terms of the tourism sector and the tourism projects they will do in the occupied.
Among other things, he said, their goal is to create an alternative model of tourism and to this end they will implement projects for two separate cable cars in Kyrenia, construction of golf courses and new marinas for yachts.
He added that in addition to the project concerning the expansion of the ancient port of occupied Kyrenia, they will announce tenders for the construction of a new port for yachts in occupied Famagusta while they are making efforts to create an area in Kazivera, where a marina will be erected so that they can approach the small yachts.
He also claimed that as part of alternative projects and in order to gain sports tourism, they are working to build 4-5 golf courses, and plan to build at least 3 golf courses in the Vokolida area.
For their intention to make a cable car in province of Kyrenia, Mr. Ataoglou said that the project is at the final stage in the “central bidding committee” and explained that they are working to create two lines of cable cars that will reach from Kyrenia to the Castle of Agios Hilarion.
He also mentioned that until the end of September, the number of tourists who arrived in the occupied territories was about 1 million 200 thousand and he expressed the belief that by the end of the year they will reach the numbers of 2019. “The occupancy rate in our hotels is very high . While during the summer season the daily number of planes that arrived in our country was 5, at the moment it is 13-15. Our goal is to make the tdvc a place that will host tourists for 12 months. We have reached the numbers we had before the pandemic”, he concluded.
