I was fortunate enough to attend the mayor's English talk a couple of weeks back, which was organised by the fantastic Larnaca Parents Network, who are a real credit to the town.
I wasn't quite sure what to expect and imagined that the mayor would probably spout a lot of political rhetoric and side-step questions that he didn't like. What I experienced instead was a very frank, humorous and informative exchange between the mayor and the people who had made the effort to attend, and who genuinely cared about hearing what the future of Larnaca holds.
Looking around the room, it was very encouraging to see the diversity of nationalities: Cypriot, Anglo-Cypriot, British, German, French, Israeli, Hungarian, Russian, and probably others that I hadn't discerned. All of these people chose to live in Larnaca and clearly love the town, and this wasn't lost on the mayor who seemed to be impressed, not only by the turnout and mixture of people, but also by the legitimate and intelligent concerns they all had.
Personally, I left feeling that the best of Larnaca is to come, and I truly feel that in a few years from now, this lovely town is going to go from strength-to-strength.
I honestly would not live anywhere else in the world, and I would hand-on-heart still advise and recommend Larnaca as a place to live to anyone – right now. This is despite the hardships we are facing because I still believe that it is a paradise compared to other places, and that this is only a temporary phase – even if temporary means five years and some very difficult times in the process.
The efforts of the fabulous Larnaka Tourism Board (LTB), combined with the municipality, and even organisations such as the Larnaca Parents Network, ensure that things can only get better. The LTB has launched so many projects and improvements that have made our tourism offering better year-on-year, despite the lack of hotels in the town – something that the mayor readily admitted is an issue.
Some of the changes may not be obvious to the average citizen as they are aimed at attracting visitors, but I am privy to them as I do some writing for the LTB, and it never ceases to amaze me how tirelessly and innovatively they work. For example, they have made Larnaca a top destination for some big sporting events that are really putting the town on the map, and they are constantly organising programmes of complimentary events and activities for guests.
But, that aside, if someone was wondering what the future holds for residents rather than visitors, then there is plenty happening there too. The town will either have a new marina or house the hydrocarbons – both of which are going to bring in money and jobs, as will the casino if Larnaca becomes the host.
The mayor's vision for a unified seafront is very exciting, as is the thought of how the town will look – complete with a large network of bicycle paths – once the major roadworks are completed before the end of the year.
I don't underestimate the suffering that is still to come, but I like to believe that after every storm there is a calm… and a rainbow with a pot of gold at the end.
First appeared in The Cyprus Weekly - 08/02/14
