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Paphos Regional Tourism Board Unveils €600,000 Budget Boost For 2026 Digital And Sustainable Transformation

The Paphos Regional Tourism Board (Etap) has set a new strategic course with a €600,000 budget increase and an action plan for 2026 aimed at enhancing visitor experiences and expanding the region’s digital capabilities and promotional reach.

Strategic Investment In Visitor Experience And Digital Transformation

In a recent board meeting, Etap’s directors approved a comprehensive plan that focuses on upgrading tourism products, elevating visitor experiences, and accelerating the digital transformation of information and services. This initiative aligns with broader objectives to harness new technologies and optimize resource allocation across Paphos.

Enhanced Promotional Campaigns And Collaborative Efforts

Central to the plan is a robust public relations campaign both locally and internationally, positioning Paphos as a premier destination. In the coming weeks, a series of meetings with local bodies and organizations will address the challenge of seasonality, ensuring a coordinated strategy that capitalizes on peak tourism periods while mitigating off-peak downturns.

Active Participation In The Smart Tourism Initiative

Etap is also actively engaged in the second steering group meeting and thematic workshop of the European project ‘Smart Tourism – Smart Destinations’, scheduled for November 18–19 in Jesolo, Veneto, Italy. The project, which partners 10 organizations across Europe, is 80% funded by the European Union and is designed to foster smart and sustainable tourist destinations. With up to €200,000 in funds allocated to Etap, this initiative supports the region’s commitment to digital and green transitions.

Aligning With European Best Practices

During the workshop, partners will review project progress, discuss future actions through 2026, and coordinate on management, communication, and financial oversight. The thematic sessions promise an exchange of best practices, driving knowledge transfer and policy innovation to support sustainable tourism development.

As Etap positions Paphos as a model smart and sustainable destination at a European level, this multi-faceted approach underscores a forward-thinking strategy that is set to redefine regional tourism for years to come.

At WN Cyprus, 84% Of Showcased Game Teams Were Looking For Backing

While policymakers and business leaders discussed how the island could support more studios, 84% of the teams participating in the Developer Showcase were looking for an investor, a publisher, or both, according to organisers.

More than 20 teams presented projects at WN Conference Cyprus’26, held at Parklane in Limassol on 17 and 18 September. According to WN’s post-event figures, the conference drew 503 attendees from 251 companies, with 52% of participants holding C-level roles. The two-day event brought together developers, publishers, investors and technology companies for meetings, discussions and game demonstrations. It was WN’s fifth consecutive annual conference in Cyprus, where the organiser has held games industry events since 2018.

The funding needs revealed by the showcase gave added weight to one of the programme’s central questions: can Cyprus develop from a location for international company headquarters into a country where studios can also find talent, investment and support for new projects?

Dr Nicodemos Damianou, Deputy Minister of Research, Innovation and Digital Policy, discussed that question with Tanya Romanyukha, General Manager of TechIsland. Their conversation covered access to talent and finance, as well as the conditions needed for more studios to build and grow from Cyprus.

Investment decisions under pressure

The rest of the programme also reflected the difficult commercial environment facing game developers. Discussions raised the topics of cautious investment, layoffs, changing player behaviour and the effect of artificial intelligence on production and distribution.

In To Scale or Not to Scale: That Is the Question, Pavel Istomin, Publishing Game Producer at Hypercell Games, and Nikolay Shapovalov, Chief Publishing Officer at playducky.com, considered how studios decide whether to commit more money to a game or stop development. Phillip Black, co-host and co-author of Deconstructor of Fun, moderated the discussion, which focused on the market data and early performance indicators used in publishing decisions.

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A separate session examined how games can attract an audience before release. FLEXUS founder Semyon Kozyura joined Julia Lebedeva, COO and Partner at WN Media Group, to discuss Dear Passengers, which organisers said had accumulated three million Steam wishlists before launch.

Four teams also presented their projects to an industry jury during the Indie Pitch:

  • Through Your Eyes by Omeelia GmbH
  • Anicards by Dragocat
  • World of Sea Battle by THERA INTERACTIVE
  • Synvector by North Souls Games

The AWS Developer Showcase Awards distributed $7,500 in AWS credits. Mirrorbane, presented by Pavel Moskvin, received $5,000, while Midnight Watcher: Village, presented by Kirill Reznichenko, received $2,500. 

Six Cyprus Games Industry Awards announced

The Cyprus Games Industry Awards were presented during the WN Networking Party on 17 September. A public vote determined the shortlists before a jury selected the winners in six categories. Companies did not have to be founded or headquartered in Cyprus to qualify, but were required to have a presence on the island and contribute to its games industry.

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The 2026 winners were:

  • Growth and Marketing Partner: OHM Agency
  • Publisher of the Year: AppQuantum
  • PC Games Achievement: Heroes of Might and Magic: Olden Era by Unfrozen
  • Mobile Games Achievement: Standoff 2 by AXLEBOLT
  • People and Workplace Award: MY.GAMES
  • Game Commerce and Payments Partner: Xsolla and Unlimit

The awards covered game development, publishing and the companies providing marketing, employment and payment services to the sector.

WN has provisionally scheduled its next Cyprus conference for 4 and 5 November 2027.

For many of the teams showing their work in Limassol, however, the next milestone remained commercial. The application data indicated that more than four in five were still seeking the investment or publishing relationship needed to take their games further.

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