The process is at an advanced stage, being carried out by the General Accounting Office on behalf of the Agridia Community Council, for the selection of the contractor to manage and promote the Troodos Observatory in Agridia, a project which will be a major attraction for the area. A source from the Ministry of Finance told Entrepreneurial Limassol that the General Accounting Office has conducted a first round of consultation with stakeholders on May 24, 2024 and has prepared the terms of the tender.
There will soon be another round of consultation, this time on the terms that have been already prepared and the relevant tender will be announced in July. The importance of the development of the Troodos Observatory in Agridia, which was financed with 1.7 million euros, is not only for tourism purposes, but also for schools and the entire Cypriot community, was mentioned by President Nicos Christodoulides during the inauguration ceremony.
He stressed that the aim is to have a contractor selected by September to take over the management and promotion of the museum. The Cyprus President expressed optimism about the positive impact the Observatory will have on the development of the entire region and its potential to complement a series of government interventions aimed at formulating an updated tourism policy for the Troodos mountain product.
In order to promote agrotourism and astrotourism in the region, the project "Astro Observation and Natural Environment - Alternative Product for the Development and Promotion of the Geoparks of the Eastern Mediterranean" with the acronym Geostars is co-financed by the European Regional Development Fund (Interreg V-A Programme, Greece-Cyprus, 2014-2020). The action is being implemented in the areas of Sitia and Troodos, with the Forestry Department as the lead partner, and partners the Troodos Development Company Ltd, the Community Council of Agridia, the University of Nicosia Research Institute, the Limassol District Administration, the Municipality of Sitia, the Research University Institute of Theoretical and Computational Physics - University of Crete and the Ministry of Tourism of Greece.
The Troodos Development Company, in its capacity as a Partner, carried out promotional activities for astrotourism. On September 23, 2023, it organized an Astro Observation Night, together with the Department of Forests, and the 10.10 Observatory, at the Amiantos Astro Observation Outdoor Space which was formed by the Department of Forests, and the Republic of Cyprus.
A mobile planetarium with an Igloo type portable dome and a video projector with digital projection technology was also purchased, with which during the months of September and October 2022, projections of the mobile planetarium were carried out at selected thematic festivals in the Troodos region. In the dome of the planetarium, visitors had the opportunity to experience the magic of the starry sky, with the digital projection of the celestial firmament. Through the dome of the planetarium, the constellations, with their mythology and the spectacular planets with their phenomena were projected in 4K resolution and excellent clarity. The tour of space and the fantastic journey to the far reaches of the Universe were led by the astro-explorers Agapios Ilias and Nicolas Kakopitos.
Further a promotional video was created which can be watched by those interested by clicking on the link Troodos UNESCO Global Geopark - GEOSTARS, as well as the project website as digital promotional material at http://geostars.eu. Printed promotional material has also been produced in the form of an information trifold on the programme and a photographic information booklet entitled "THE UNSEEN SIDE OF TROODOS".
The Troodos Development Company also made relevant presentations at the 16th European Geoparks Conference held from 26 to 30 September 2022 in Verbania, Italy at the UNESCO World Geopark Sesia Val Grande and at the Conference: "Amateur Stargazing in Eastern Mediterranean Geoparks as an Alternative Form of Tourism" held in Sitia on 22 November 2022. In the framework of the action, digital games and two IT applications have even been produced. A 3D reality application on the planets and the Geoparks of Crete - Cyprus and two points of use-stations within the Troodos Observatory.
