New marinas aim for sailing tourists

THE COMPLETION of two new marinas in the Paphos district in 2008 will hopefully attract more tourists to the island, the government said.

The decision to create the marinas at Paphos and Latsi harbours was taken during a Cabinet meeting this week.

The two marinas will be used as ports of entry for private yachts and part of the harbours will continue to moor fishing boats.

Commerce Minister Antonis Michaelides said the project was part of the government’s strategic plan to improve the island’s tourism profile.

The Cyprus Port Authority said yesterday it was taken by surprise by the decision.

“The first we heard about it was this week and only got the decision yesterday [Thursday]. We have no details about it,” senior chief pilot George Pouros said.

The port official said the authority would also be examining information that the government had plans to appropriate parts of the two ports to implement the project.

Asked whether it was likely the port authority would resist the appropriation, Pouros was unable to say.

“What reaction the authority will have after going over the decision I don’t know,” he said.
Commerce Ministry permanent secretary Efstathios Hamboulas said eventually the plan was to have four main ports of entry on the island including Limassol, Larnaca, Paphos and Ayia Napa. Smaller mooring points would then dot the coastline from Polis Chrysochous to Protaras, he said.

Hamboulas was unable to give any details regarding how big the two new marinas would be, the cost of the project or how many boats they would take as the decision was still in its very early stages.

Nevertheless the ministry’s aim was to see both marinas in full operation sometime next year, he added.

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