The annual event kicks off this week promising bargains galore and a range of smaller expos within its bounds
THE 34th Cyprus International Fair, which opens its gates on Friday, will be innovative, engaging and fun, organisers say.
The General Manager of the Cyprus State Fairs Authority, and the man at the helm of the new approach to the fair, Kikis Petevis, explained that “there will be a series of ongoing ‘parallel’ events that will be launched at different times over the nine days that the fair will be open (it closes on May 31). These will include an expo on local tourism opportunities, an astronomy exhibition in one of the pavilions to mark UNESCO’s declaration of 2009 as ‘International Year of Astronomy’, and a number of other small recreational activities being looked into, such as the test-driving of cars and an exhibition titled Boys Stuff “that will include every accessory the modern man could want”.
At the fair, there will be roughly 150 different exhibitors displaying a range of products and services from over 27 countries, including household products and other consumer items. Country-specific expositions of goods from places such as Spain, Greece, Romania, Syria and the US will also be ongoing. For the first time, there will be a bazaar located in Pavilion 10 which will showcase a range of traditional products from Cyprus that visitors can purchase.
Local hotels offering package holidays specifically tailored and competitively priced to suit the needs of residents of Cyprus will also be present in a mini expo called Cytour, following a keen display of interest from residents in the idea of taking their holidays closer to home this summer. This has followed initiatives from the hotel industry and other sectors of tourism to take advantage of Cyprus’ relatively favourable position within the global economy when it comes to the recession, which has seen the ability of Cypriots’ purchasing power to remain robust in the face of global financial meltdown.
Local tourist-related businesses such as hotels are now looking inwardly to attract local customers, as their traditional clientele from Europe look set to tighten their belts come the summer season. This step has been praised by the government, as it means that capital is kept circulating within the national economy, allowing citizens to have cheaper holidays while also providing a needed prospect of buoyancy to the tourism sector.
It also means that while the idea of a State Fair might seem a bit incongruous in other European countries where the recession has hit harder, in Cyprus, companies and sponsors have felt confident enough to invest in the exhibition and keep the momentum going.
To mark the UNESCO International Year of Astronomy, Pavilion 7 will contain a mobile planetarium with three screenings a day, a photographic exhibition of pictures of space, and a high-resolution telescope that will give space enthusiasts and ordinary passers-by the ability to gaze into the night sky and beyond.
There had previously been plans to launch a series of developments on the current grounds of the State Fair, however proposals for a conference centre and hotel have, for the time, been put on hold until relevant authorities and organisations in the project are satisfied with the amount of land that will be granted for their use. Until then, the Fair will continue to hold a series of smaller events that are designed to provide a platform for local and international companies that hold interests in Cyprus to promote themselves.
The competitive atmosphere will be worth visiting for the interested consumer, as there will be a range of offers and deals that can be found among the jungle of exhibits, which organisers claim will offer products at prices that will reflect the increased ambition of companies to sell, sell, sell!
The Cyprus State Fair opens at 6pm on Friday May 22 and runs through May 31 inclusive. Entrance is €5 and includes entry in a raffle
