Tourism for Peace? Reflections on a Village Tourism Project in Cyprus

Abstract

On 1 May 2004, the Republic of Cyprus entered the European Union, unaccompanied by the Turkish-Cypriot population in the northern third of the island. The Green Line -the militarized border marking the cessation of hostilities in 1974 -now defi nes the outer edge of the European Union, creating a fl uid and uncertain borderland which has become the focus for ongoing att empts to construct both the new Cyprus and the new Europe. Tourism has a central and contradictory role to play in these processes. It off ers an avenue for stimulating economic activity and raising income levels in the Turkish-Cypriot north, and presents an opportunity to develop complementary tourism products north and south which could widen the appeal of the island as a whole and promote collaborative ventures between Greek-and Turkish-Cypriots. On the other hand, such developments face strong resistance from sections of the population north and south, who fear they will lead either to the legitimation and tacit recognition of the Turkish-Cypriot state in the north, or to a return to relations characterized by Greek-Cypriot dominance and Turkish-Cypriot dependence. The paper refl ects on the author's involvement in a village tourism development project in Cyprus in 2005-2006 in order to explore what an anthropological approach to the use of tourism for political ends can tell us about confl ict, and when, and under what conditions, tourism might be a force for peace and reconciliation.

Qualitative Research in Gambling

“…Over time, visits to ancestral villages and family property left behind in 1974 frequently founder on misunderstandings and unexpressed resentments; stereotypes are confirmed and reinforced, and there is a widespread inability or reluctance to admit the commensurability of experiences of displacement and injustice. Collaborative initiatives bringing together Turkish and Greek Cypriot civil society groups are seen as high-risk undertakings which must overcome entrenched suspicion and distrust rooted in differentially constructed understandings of the past, present and potential futures (Scott 2012). Disappointment and disengagement are frequent outcomes of these frustrated and frustrating encounters.…”