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Cyprus And U.K. Launch Europe’s First Virtual Security Training Platform For Tourism Professionals

by THEFUTURE.TEAM

November 26, 2025

Cyprus and the United Kingdom have unveiled Europe’s first comprehensive online training platform, designed to equip tourism-sector staff with the skills necessary to identify and report potential terrorist threats and manage crises. Unveiled at the ‘Safeguarding Cyprus’s Tourism Industry’ conference—co-hosted by the Deputy Ministry of Tourism and showcased by the British High Commission—the initiative underscores a growing bilateral commitment to safeguarding a vital economic sector.

Protecting A Key Economic Pillar

Tourism contributes approximately €3.2 billion annually to the Cypriot economy. British High Commissioner Michael Tatham emphasized the importance of security in maintaining Cyprus’s reputation as a safe destination. With 34 per cent of tourists in 2024 being British nationals, the partnership highlights a shared interest in protecting the island’s allure, renowned for its sun, blue skies, and Mediterranean climate.

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Operational Excellence On The Frontline

The platform goes beyond theoretical training, delivering operational modules that simulate realistic scenarios to prepare staff for swift, decisive action during crises. This proactive approach aims to minimize the human and economic repercussions of security breaches. As Tatham warned, even one incident could erode confidence and have lasting adverse effects on tourism, investment, and job creation.

Enhancing Security Across Critical Sectors

Recognizing the evolving nature of risks—from geopolitical tensions and terrorism to health emergencies and cyberattacks—the initiative extends its reach to hotels, airports, restaurants, and bars. This role-specific training is offered in both Greek and English, ensuring that frontline personnel are well-equipped to respond effectively. Deputy Ministry of Tourism Director General Costas Constantinou articulated the vision: “Every visitor should feel safe, every professional prepared, and every community protected.”

A Model For Public-Private Collaboration

Both Cypriot and U.K. officials view the platform as a natural extension of a strategic partnership. While Cyprus serves as a crucial security bridge between Europe and the Middle East, the expanded cooperation reinforces public-private ties crucial for building resilient tourism ecosystems. Law enforcement and industry stakeholders alike are encouraged to adopt best practices that not only enhance immediate safety but promise long-term economic stability.

Conclusion

In a time when security challenges loom large, this innovative training platform represents a robust effort to safeguard Cyprus’ tourism industry. As experts from both nations champion vigilant, operational training, the initiative stands as a testament to the power of international collaboration in today’s interconnected world.

The Future Forbes Realty Global Properties

by News Editor

August 24, 2026

Courts Are Still Applying Old Copyright Rules To AI

AI companies train models on enormous amounts of published material, including books, articles and academic research. Whether using that content without authors’ permission violates copyright law remains unresolved.

Much of the debate centres on fair use, which allows copyrighted material to be used without permission in certain circumstances. Courts consider factors such as the purpose of the use, how much material was involved and its impact on the original market.

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Anthropic Case Sets An Important Precedent

A major case involving Anthropic and a group of authors provided one of the clearest rulings so far. Judge William Alsup found that using copyrighted books to train AI models was lawful, comparing the process to people reading and studying literature before creating something new.

Anthropic was nevertheless ordered to pay $1.5 billion in a settlement. The penalty concerned books the company had obtained from illegal online libraries rather than the AI training itself.

For AI companies, that distinction could prove significant because it separates studying copyrighted material from directly copying it.

Competition Could Be The Key Issue

A case involving Thomson Reuters and Ross Intelligence offers a different perspective. A court ruled that Ross could not claim fair use after using Reuters’ copyrighted material to develop a competing AI-powered legal research platform.

The decision suggests courts may be less willing to consider AI training fair use when copyrighted content is used to build a product that directly competes with the original.

For authors, an unresolved question is whether AI-generated content should be considered competition for the works used to train these models.

The Law Has Yet To Catch Up

US copyright law predates generative AI by decades, leaving courts to apply old principles to new technology. Questions also remain over copyright protection for AI-generated works. In Thaler v. Perlmutter, a court ruled that material created entirely by AI cannot receive copyright protection.

Major AI companies remain involved in copyright litigation, and different courts could reach different conclusions. For now, there is no universal rule: the legality of AI training will depend on the circumstances of each case and how courts ultimately interpret copyright and fair use.