A girl watches intently as a traditional hand mill is demonstrated at the Eco Day event
The village of Buyukkonuk was alive on October 21, 2007 with both locals and visitors for the “Eco Day” event that celebrated ecotourism, a new but steadily developing activity in northern Cyprus. The idea of embracing eco-friendly and sustainable tourism while celebrating their cultural heritage was well appreciated under the slogan of the day “Come experience village traditions and nature at its best.”
Buyukkonuk was happily overwhelmed with nearly 1200 visitors, more than double of what was anticipated. Villagers sold traditional food items, handicrafts and produce of the Buyukkonuk region. The crowd was the largest when the traditional Cypriot dances were demonstrated. Children flocked to the bike race and donkey rides. Demonstrations of mud brick making, broom making and olive preparation attracted the tourists from overseas. A group of local boys took a large group of visitors on a “Village Tour” on bike as a welcomed spontaneous addition to the festivities. The use of paper bags instead of plastic and glass jars rather than plastic bottles and containers were both recognized and appreciated as a small but symbolic focus for the Eco Day. The local authority on the municipal level made a direct reference to Buyukkonuk being recognized as an “eco-village.”
The Eco Day was a culmination of the ecotourism sub-project of the Economic Development and Growth for Enterprises (EDGE) under the Cyprus Partnership for Economic Growth (CyPEG) project funded by the US Agency for International Development (USAID). WDI fielded an eco-tourism expert Keith Sproule to train the village tourism committee as well as leaders from throughout the region on special interest tourism and event management. He was also key driver in planning for the Eco Day. Thanks to the project, Buyukkonuk village, located at the entrance to the Karpaz peninsula in northern Cyprus, is now promoted in the itineraries of the largest special interest travel agencies in northern Cyprus, diversifying the income generating activities of the village.
WDI consultant Keith Sproule said, “I hope people see ecotourism as a viable option for the sustainable development instead of relying heavily on the large-scale development of the natural seashore and wildlife areas into resort facilities. To the extent that Buyukkonuk Village becomes a model for success, which it is on the road to becoming, it is reasonable to expect the model will be replicated by small, rural villages in other parts of northern Cyprus. ”
The local dance troupe demonstrating a traditional dance
Donkey rides for children were a big hit