Opposition says Russian talent show deal ‘fishy’

THE OPPOSITION yesterday said it would look closely into a ‘fishy’ decision by the Cyprus Tourism Organisation (CTO) to fund a €6 million Russian talent show to be held in Cyprus.
Reports on Saturday claimed that six members of the CTO’s nine-member board were initially positive to the proposal to fund the conduction of reality talent show Star Factory on the island as a means of promoting Cyprus to the Russian tourist market.
Commenting on the affair, Opposition DISY deputy chairman Averof Neophytou said he had a message for the government: because every euro comes from the “sweat and toil” of Cypriot taxpayers, “this fishy decision will undergo a thorough examination.”
Plans for the deal sparked minor controversy when it was first made by SB Exclusive in June, as it entailed the government paying out €8 million to ostensibly allow a show to be hosted on its own turf.
It has since emerged that here were two proposals on the table: one for €8 million involving daily advertising and the €6 million one with fewer days.
The show would involve an ‘X Factor’ style talent contest being staged at various locations in Cyprus.
The benefits of such a move, according to organisers SB Exclusive, far outweigh the costs as the popularity of the show and the exposure Cyprus would secure to the millions who watch it would quickly and easily turn a profit.
The organisers believe that the show will attract far more Russian tourists to Cyprus than current campaigns have done so far.
As things stand, roughly 180,000 Russian tourists visit Cyprus each year, compared to 2.2 million who go to Turkey and 1.9 million who choose Egypt.
According to an SB Exclusive announcement, the market price of the airtime Cyprus stands to receive is a whopping €126 million.
The plan is opposed by Cyprus’ travel agents association ACTA.
ACTA says it is not a targeted promotion of Cyprus’ tourist product and has no guarantees of success.
And €6 million – almost half of the CTO’s total promotion budget for all markets – is a lot of money to spend that way, ACTA said.

The Cyprus Mail is the only English-language daily newspaper published in Cyprus. It was established in 1945 and today, with its popular and widely-read website, the Cyprus Mail is among the most trusted news sites in Cyprus. The newspaper is not affiliated with any political parties and has always striven to maintain its independence. Over the past 70-plus years, the Cyprus Mail, with a small dedicated team, has covered momentous events in Cyprus’ modern history, chronicling the last gasps of British colonial rule, Cyprus’ truncated independence, the coup and Turkish invasion, and the decades of negotiations to stitch the divided island back together, plus a myriad of scandals, murders, and human interests stories that capture the island and its -people. Observers describe it as politically conservative.