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Cyprus Explores Industrial Tourism To Expand Its Visitor Economy

by THEFUTURE.TEAM

July 6, 2026

Cyprus is exploring a new way to diversify its tourism offering, with factories, dairies, wineries and even quarries potentially becoming visitor attractions under plans being developed by the Nicosia Tourism Board.

Turning Production Into An Experience

The initiative aims to transform working production facilities into tourism destinations, allowing visitors to see how local products are made while discovering Cyprus’ industrial heritage. Industrial tourism is already well established in several European countries, where both active factories and historic production sites attract thousands of visitors each year.

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“It is important that we begin building authentic experiences linked to the history of the country,” Sotiris Christoforou, an officer at the Nicosia Tourism Board. He added that the initiative could also help introduce younger generations to different industries and career opportunities.

A Tourism Model Built Around Local Strengths

Although Cyprus lacks large-scale heavy industry, officials believe several sectors are well suited to this type of tourism, particularly food production. Ideas under consideration include guided visits to halloumi producers, wineries, dairies, food manufacturers and ice cream factories.

Christoforou noted that Cyprus’ three major ice cream producers: Papafilippou, Heracles and Regis, have been operating since the 1950s and could offer visitors a unique perspective on the island’s industrial and cultural development.

Potential routes could also include mines, quarries and the Troodos UNESCO Global Geopark, which received UNESCO Global Geopark status in 2015.

Balancing Tourism And Industry

Opening production facilities to visitors will require careful planning. Organisers are examining issues such as health and safety, visitor management and the certification of specialised guides to ensure tourism activities do not interfere with day-to-day operations.

For participating businesses, the initiative could provide more than an additional revenue stream by strengthening brand visibility and creating closer connections with consumers.

Part Of A Wider European Project

The proposal forms part of the four-year IndusTour project, funded through the Interreg Europe programme and co-financed by the European Union.

As part of the initiative, Nicosia recently hosted the Industrial Tourism Conference: Enhancing Visitor Experiences and Promoting Local Businesses, bringing together tourism experts, researchers and public authorities from Cyprus, France, the Czech Republic, Poland, Serbia and Denmark.

According to Christoforou, the current phase focuses on analysing successful industrial tourism models across Europe to identify practices that could be adapted locally. If implemented, the initiative could broaden Cyprus’ tourism offering while giving local manufacturers a new platform to showcase their products and heritage.

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Only 1% Of Cyprus Farms Use Precision Farming Technologies

Cyprus remains one of the European Union’s least digitised agricultural economies, with just 1% of farms using precision farming technologies in 2023, according to Eurostat.

The findings come as the EU continues to encourage the adoption of digital tools aimed at improving agricultural productivity, efficiency and sustainability.

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Internet Access Expands, But Digital Uptake Lags

Internet access has improved across the bloc, although adoption remains uneven. Eurostat found that 43% of EU farms had internet access in 2023, with northern and central European countries leading the way.

Denmark, Germany, Slovakia, Latvia, the Czech Republic and Austria all reported internet access rates above 90%.

Greater connectivity, however, has not translated into widespread digital adoption. Farm management information systems, which help farmers manage day-to-day operations, were used by only about 11% of EU farms. France was a notable exception, with around 60% of farms using the technology.

Precision Farming Concentrated In Larger Operations

Robotics adoption also remained relatively limited, with only about 7% of EU farms using robotic technologies. Overall, around 18% of farms with utilised agricultural area employed at least one precision farming technology or practice in 2023.

These included robotics for plant protection, band spraying, variable-rate application, precision crop monitoring and soil analysis. Despite representing fewer than one in five farms, these holdings accounted for around 44% of the EU’s utilised agricultural area.

The figures suggest that precision farming remains concentrated among larger agricultural businesses, where investment in digital technologies is typically easier to support.

Cyprus Lags Behind EU Leaders

Luxembourg, Finland and Estonia recorded the highest shares of utilised agricultural area managed by farms using precision farming technologies, each exceeding 75%.

At the other end of the ranking, Cyprus recorded just 1%, while Greece and Romania reported between 10% and 15%. The results indicate that Cyprus remains at an early stage of digital adoption in agriculture, even as precision farming becomes more widespread across parts of the European Union.