In a festive atmosphere, the Christmas Villages 2024-2025 were officially inaugurated on Friday evening in the village of Kalopanayiotis by the Deputy Minister of Tourism, Kostas Koumis. This year’s villages will operate in Agros, Deryneia, Kalopanayiotis, Kiti, Kyperounta, Laiki Geitonia (Municipality of Nicosia), Lefkara, and Fikardou.

According to an official announcement, the Christmas Villages are a distinctive initiative by the Deputy Ministry of Tourism. Launched in 2021, they aim to offer authentic experiences to both locals and international visitors while enhancing Cyprus’s tourism product. The initiative is part of broader efforts to promote Cyprus as a year-round tourist destination by utilizing quality labels and emphasizing unique cultural experiences.

For this year, the Deputy Ministry introduced a Grant Scheme encouraging community councils and remote or mountainous municipalities to host Christmas Villages. The scheme applies to the festive period from November 23, 2024, to January 6, 2025.

The selected destinations will feature festive decorations and wooden stalls offering local products and crafts for sale. Visitors can enjoy interactive workshops in crafts and gastronomy, nature-based activities such as hiking and cycling, guided village tours, and other surprises.

The ultimate goal of the Deputy Ministry is to differentiate the Christmas Villages, with their unique local character, from similar initiatives in urban areas of Cyprus and abroad. Each year, the villages are enriched to attract both Cypriot and international visitors, the announcement added.