The ‘Destination of Sustainable Cultural Tourism’ contest is organized by the European Cultural Tourism Network (ECTN), for all tourism destinations Europe-wide. The theme for the 2015 award calls for ‘Industrial Heritage Tourism’ and winners are recognized as ‘examples of excellence’ aiming to inspire and stimulate other European tourism destinations.
Hence, the Limassol Tourism Board applied for the award using the Lanitis Carob Mill project of Limassol. Titled ‘Limassol (Cyprus): Turning a Carob Mill and Warehouse into the Old Town Hotspot’, the Board was working alongside the management team of Carob Mill Restaurants ltd, becoming the worthy beholder of the second place. The first prize was awarded to Poland and the third prize to Latvia.
The Carob Mill was previously used in the 1800’s as a mere warehouse, and by the 1920’s was converted into a carob mill. By the year 1937, the carobs were exported for animal feed in the UK, Germany, Russia, France and Egypt and also used as a chocolate substitute in the sweet industry. The seeds, thus, enjoyed a particular great demand. The substance was later used in the photographic film manufacture industries and in Pharmaceutical industries respectively.
Carob Mill Restaurants ltd was therefore the next step to the evolution of the site. The project includes restaurants, ballrooms, the carob museum and a cultural centre which hosts international exhibitions, big corporate social events as well as conferences.
All this happening and vibrating in Limassol’s old city centre, the site is situated right next to the Medieval Castle; which was home to the only British Royal couple that ever got married outside Britain, Richard Lionheart and Berergaria. Today, as we speak, Limassol’s Medieval Castle is a most visited place for every holiday seeker, every tourist and every local as it has become one of the most recreational areas of the island.
At a time when cultural and heritage tourism is probably the fastest growing sector of all European tourism, Limassol continues to uphold and strengthen its place as a destination of quality with much more to offer than the typical ‘sun and sea’ tourism model.