Renaming airports in Cyprus

The Cyprus Tourist Enterprises Association (STEK), which represents four and five star hotels has proposed that both of the islands airports should be renamed after famous icons from each area.

Their suggestion is to rename the International airport of Paphos to – International Airport of Paphos – Aphrodite, and Larnaca to the International Airport – Zenon, respectively.

Aphrodite the goddess of love, is said to have been born and risen out of the sea at Petra tou Romiou in Paphos and the town became synonymous with worshipping the goddess in the ancient world.

Zenon of Kition/Citium (now Larnaca) was a Greek thinker and founded the Stoic school of philosophy, which flourished, and he taught in Athens from about 300 BC.

A spokeswoman for STEK said that the matter was proposed more than ten years ago, but that the optimum time to change the names was now, as would help to upgrade Cyprus’ tourisn product, and be completed ahead of Paphos Capital of Culture 2017.

She said: “We (STEK) believe that this move will contribute to the overall effort to promote our historical and cultural identity while (without any cost) it will help in promoting Cyprus as a destination for quality tourism.”

An airport is a mirror of a country and an entrance to it.