How sustainable tourism became a decisive tool in the ongoing survival struggle of Kormacit, the last Maronite Village in Cyprus

It all started in 2014, when a hiker lost his way in the middle of the fields. He found himself at the coffee house of the village Kormakitis / Koruçam / Kormacit (in Maronite language), trying to explain to a bunch of elderly men what hiking means and that it makes sense even if the departure and ending point of the circuit are the same. The representative of the Maronites at the Cypriot Parliament seized the occasion and digged a bit further about the activities of this hiker and potential cooperation issues. This is how Houssem Belloum, executive manager of the travel agency Sidetour and Antonis Hadjiroussous met and started developping an inclusive plan for the revival of Kormakitis: inventory, accommodation, activities, integrating in tour operator programs, marketing, branding local products, etc. Project Kormacit was born and the success story continues….