Paphos adopts new approach to Old Town

Local authorities are eager to bring new businesses and visitors to the city centre

Paphos municipality is doing everything in its power to make the city centre more attractive to visitors and businesses. Work on the old town’s redevelopment started way back in 2015, but there’s still much to do, according to local authorities.

Some of the approaches employed by the city authorities include the renovation and restoration of old buildings and putting them on the market for businesses. The municipality hopes that by providing work premises right in the city centre, it will create the perfect conditions for its development. The relocation and creation of businesses in the old town also inadvertently means that more people will be enticed to visit.

The Tourism Board of Paphos is also happy with the way things are developing – they believe that the creation of new businesses will diversify the landscape of the city and give visitors new and different reasons to visit and stay in the old town.

Lack of coherent vision

Yet not everyone in the city is happy. Kyriakos Kyriakou a member of the Friends of Paphos Old Town and owner of three shops in the area believes that local authorities lack vision for the future of the city centre.

He believes that citizens of Paphos already have plenty of things to do in the old town, they just need an incentive to keep on coming back. Among the suggestions he has for local authorities is the establishing of direct bus links between the city centre and other parts of the city, the development of a marketing plan and strategy for the whole area that promotes its strengths and opportunities and makes it appears like the perfect place to visit and the re-establishment of the old meat and vegetable market that was once a key and vital part of the old town.

With the municipality actively working on many projects for the city centre’s development, one should expect that their efforts will not be in vain and will pay off in the future.