Description of the necessity of the project

The reasons why we designed and submitted and are now implementing this project are obvious as tourism is the most important economic activity in the joint cross-border area of Greece-Cyprus and therefore has a very significant positive impact on the local economies of the Prefecture of Chania and of Paphos Province. Every year the above two spatial units attract hundreds of thousands of locals and foreign visitors, with their 90% concentrating uncontrollably in the coastal areas, due to the existence of a very large number of coastal areas of special natural beauty.

Of course, this fact already has a negative impact on local natural resources, resulting in the degradation and corresponding reduction of the attractiveness of these coastal areas, many of which include sub-areas included in the Natura 2000 network, such as Balos Lagoon in P.E. Chania, and the Akama Peninsula in the Province of Paphos.

At the same time, the biodiversity of these areas is seriously endangered. The development of sustainable forms of coastal tourism is a common challenge for national and regional strategies in the joint Cross-Border Area Greece - Cyprus, and therefore requires cross-border cooperation from both countries to address through their networking and collaboration.

So the main purpose of the CROSS-COASTAL-NET project is Establishment of a Network for the Promotion of Sustainable Forms of Coastal Tourism with the aim of transferring and exchanging good practices and know-how with the ultimate goal of protecting and highlighting the environmentally sensitive coastal areas of the common cross-border area GREECE-CYPRUS.