Play, swim and eat: Europe’s largest casino resort opens in Cyprus as tourism picks up again
NICOSIA, Cyprus (AP) — A new casino resort touted as the largest of its kind in Europe has opened its doors in Cyprus, aiming to transform the eastern Mediterranean island into a year-round luxury tourism destination, officials said Tuesday.
The 600 million euros ($659 million) City of Dreams Mediterranean is one of the largest development projects ever undertaken in the eastern Mediterranean island nation. The resort features a 14-story, 500-room hotel replete with a casino, sports facilities, a family adventure park, the island’s largest pool complex, an outdoor amphitheater, eight restaurants and bars, and a conference center.
Lawrence Ho, CEO of Hong Kong-based Melco Resorts and Entertainment, told reporters that the resort “enables Cyprus to open up new markets in the region and beyond”.
Cypriot officials have said the resort on the outskirts of the southern coastal city of Limassol would create 6,500 jobs, attract around 300,000 additional visitors to Cyprus each year and pump hundreds of millions of euros into the local economy every year.
Like other tourism-dependent countries, Cyprus is recovering from the pandemic that had dried up tourist numbers. Official statistics report that total tourist arrivals between January and May this year are 36.2% higher than in the same period last year, and almost 4% higher than the record set in 2019, when Cyprus had 3.9 million visitors.
This comes even as Cyprus records a loss of around 900,000 annual tourist arrivals from Russia due to sanctions imposed following the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
Officials said the City of Dreams Mediterranean is the first development in the country to receive a top rating for its sustainability strategy.
Resort Property Manager Grant Johnson said Melco’s brand and its experience in entertainment and gaming will be combined with Cypriot culture and hospitality to provide a powerful mix for visitors.
“Cyprus is now poised to compete across Europe and the Middle East in luxury tourism and large-scale conferences,” said Johnson.
The 7,500 square foot casino contains 100 tables and 1,000 slot machines.
