I’ve been told in recent years that Northern Cyprus has become one of the brightest of all hidden tourism spots in this part of the world, yet since I consider various locations throughout Turkey as such, I thought to look into the basis of this claim through my own investigative technique… yes… a quick visit…
I’ve been to the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus often throughout the years and believe it to be quite unique in terms of vacation locations - finding it attractive because it has been a ‘hidden’ spot from a major part of the world until recent years.
Following its division in 1974, tourism became its leading source to increase wealth due to the lack of natural resources and on account of political embargoes it faced. Investments in tourism have successively lead to a rise in the number of new hotels and casinos, which have multiplied over the years. Thus, the rapidly growing economy has lent a hand and finally surfaced in the expansion of such seaside villages with recently constructed hotel-casino complexes… Of course, new hotels meant new employment opportunities, initially on the construction end to later offer positions for individuals as hotel and casino staff members. I immediately observed the growth this sector has experienced over the years - a remarkable boom since my last visit around 10 years ago.
Most recent recruits are of different nationalities assisting vacationers from different countries. I was thrilled to hear languages other than Turkish and English spoken during the course of my visit in Kyrenia, the small harbor town where I usually stay. Of course since this new promotional tactic proved successful in attracting new travelers from different parts of the world, many hotels have resorted to employing German, Arabic and French speaking personnel for their guests as well.
My attraction to Northern Cyprus since my initial visit has been to the beauty of the green fields, intermingled with flower filled hills and meadows leading down to radiant shorelines.
I’m not much of a gambler and don’t enjoy betting on things out of my control. Yet this doesn’t mean that I don’t like going into casinos with their dazzling lights; the jingle jangle of the slot machines, mixed in with the laughter and the cheerful noises of the clientele offer a vivacious ambiance - a pick-me up of sorts after a nice fresh seafood meal. All I have to say to those individuals who are giving casino-tourism a critical future from time to time is to stop by the luxury hotels housing them and participate in other social activities offered – an option open to all.
And yes…. finally one last note… I discovered that the new multi-lingual dealers, in addition to their charm and attractiveness, are also quite wise… specifically the one who was dealing to some friends and who heard me coughing incessantly after the long day I spent by the pool trusting the warmth of the sun vs. the winds signaling a chill. “A spoonful of honey before going to bed” – a wise technique of enchanting and further serving customers in the world of card dealing…
