*Press Release

What do an old brewery, a mill from the 1900s, a dairy plant, and a winery have in common? They are all industrial sites, but they are also tourist attractions. Places that tell stories of production, technical expertise, and human creativity—and that can become an integral part of a traveler’s experience.

Cyprus is currently among the European regions investing in the development of industrial tourism through the European IndusTour project, with the NAA in Nicosia actively participating in this effort. This is a form of tourism that is growing rapidly worldwide, offering visitors authentic experiences and providing local communities with new opportunities for development.

What is industrial tourism?

Industrial tourism allows visitors to explore production sites, industrial monuments, workshops, wineries, food processing facilities, and other businesses linked to a region’s economic and social history.

It is not merely a guided tour. It is an immersive experience that combines knowledge, culture, taste, technology, and human stories. Visitors don’t just see the final product; they discover the process, the people, and the tradition behind it.

An international trend with significant results

In many countries across Europe and the world, industrial tourism has become an important tool for local development.

In the Czech Republic, former industrial sites have been transformed into cultural, educational, and entertainment complexes that attract millions of visitors each year. At the same time, modern industries are opening their doors to the public, offering guided tours of their production processes.

In China, old factories have been transformed into cultural spaces, museums, and experiential centers, combining industrial heritage with art, technology, and the creative economy.

These examples demonstrate that industrial heritage is not a relic of the past, but a valuable resource for the future.

European Route of Industrial Heritage (ERIH)

This is a European network and cultural route that connects important industrial heritage sites across Europe—such as old factories, mines, railway infrastructure, ports, and industrial history museums.

Its goal is to highlight Europe’s industrial history and promote industrial tourism by connecting sites of historical, technological, and cultural significance. It has over 400 members in 29 countries, including museums, industrial sites, and organizations. The network is organized around “Anchor Points,” “Regional Routes,” and “European Theme Routes,” with more than 2,500 registered industrial sites across Europe.

“Anchor Points” are significant historical sites offering a high-quality visitor experience and serve as the network’s “flagships,” with strict selection criteria such as historical value, high-quality infrastructure, and positive visitor reviews. Regional routes connect local points of interest and aim to promote tourism development, strengthen regional identity, and foster collaboration among stakeholders.

ERIH emphasizes the quality of the experience, collaboration with tourism stakeholders, the creation of a strong brand, and the use of modern marketing tools, such as digital promotion and social media. At the same time, it promotes linking industrial heritage with other forms of tourism (cultural, cycling, etc.) to boost visitor numbers.

Case Studies

Moravian-Silesian – Czech Republic

The Moravian-Silesian Region in the Czech Republic is one of the most industrialized regions in Central Europe and is undergoing economic transformation, aiming to move away from its traditional image as a coal-mining region.

In terms of tourism, it ranks among the country’s five most-visited regions, attracting approximately 1.06 million visitors annually. A major attraction of the region is the Tatra Truck Museum, as Tatra is a Czech vehicle manufacturer headquartered in the city of Kopřivnice. In addition, the regional tourism product Technotrail connects 35 sites of technical and industrial heritage, offering hands-on activities, making it a unique journey through the technical history and innovation of Northern Moravia and Silesia (including, among others, the fields of mining, transportation, the military industry, crafts, and modern industry).

Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes – France

The Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region is the prime example of industrial tourism development in France, combining a strong industrial base with a highly developed tourism economy. It was created in 2016 through the merger of the former Auvergne and Rhône-Alpes regions and covers approximately 70,000 km², accounting for 13% of mainland France. It is France’s leading industrial region and ranks third in terms of reindustrialization efforts. In total, there are approximately 55,000 businesses operating in the region, with a strong presence in the food and beverage, metallurgy, machinery, plastics, and energy sectors.

It is within this context that so-called “know-how tourism”—or business know-how tourism—is developing; in France, this involves visits to businesses and production facilities. Nationwide, approximately 4,000 companies participate in the program and welcome 22 million visitors, with an impressive increase of over 200% over the past five years. Eighteen percent of visitors are foreign, while 90% of the businesses have a retail store and 40% have a museum. In the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region, there are 460 businesses open to the public that welcome approximately 2 million visitors annually.

The sector’s growth is supported by national and regional policies, such as the “Destination France” and the 2022–2028 regional plan, which aims for sustainable tourism development and the diversification of the tourism product. The region has established a 5 million euro fund for “know-how tourism,” with the goal of doubling the number of businesses opening to the public, professionalizing the tourism experience, and boosting local production.

Vojvodina – Serbia

Vojvodina is located in the northern part of Serbia. It may still be in its early stages, but efforts are underway to promote industrial tourism by showcasing significant assets and examples of the repurposing of industrial spaces, such as the Creative District and the Svilara Cultural Station in Novi Sad, as well as historic facilities like breweries and hydraulic engineering projects. Its main challenges are a lack of infrastructure, insufficient promotion, and the absence of a visitor tracking system. Nevertheless, it offers opportunities to develop cross-border routes, linking cultural and creative tourism with the repurposing of industrial sites for tourism.

Municipality of Tønder – Denmark

The Municipality of Tønder is a region with a strong agricultural and industrial profile and a growing tourism sector. It covers an area of 1,285 km² and has a population of approximately 36,400 (2025), with Tønder as its main city (8,000 residents). The local economy relies on industries such as aluminum production for the automotive industry, the processing of agricultural products (dairy, meat, potatoes), and the presence of ECCO’s international headquarters, which serves as a prime example of industrial tourism. There are already private initiatives such as the ECCO exhibition, Højer Pølser (a traditional sausage producer with a visitor center and restaurant), gin and whiskey distilleries, as well as the former military/air force base Zeppelin Tønder, which is planned to be developed as a tourist destination.

Kvorning ApS – Denmark

Specializes in the design of experiences and exhibition spaces, with international experience and membership in professional organizations such as ICOM and ICOMOS.

Its core concept is to transform industrial heritage and corporate history into high-quality visitor experiences through storytelling, exhibitions, and thematic interpretations. With her extensive experience, she has the ability to simplify the complex. It has been designing spaces around the world since 1992. In total, it has completed over 5,000 projects and 500 museums in more than 50 countries. Particular emphasis is placed on 18 UNESCO World Heritage Sites and international destinations that combine industrial history with the tourist experience. Examples of his projects include:

• Vemork/Rjukan Heavy Water Plant, Norway
• Industrial Heritage of Notodden, Notodden, Norway
• Røros Mining Town – Røros, Norway
• Prosperity Well – Dhahran, Saudi Arabia
• Tang Dynasty Murals – Xi’an, China

Łódzkie – Poland

The Łódzkie region is an important emerging destination for industrial tourism, with a historical background in the textile industry and a gradual transition toward cultural tourism, innovation, and urban revitalization.

Tourism is contributing more and more to the local economy, with over 1.3 million visitors annually (pre-pandemic) and approximately 20,000–25,000 people employed in the sector. Top attractions include Manufaktura (a former textile industrial complex converted into a shopping and entertainment center), EC1 Łódź – City of Culture (a former power plant converted into a cultural and scientific center), as well as historical monuments such as the Radziwiłł Palace in Nieborów and the Romantic Park in Arkadia.

In terms of industrial tourism, the region boasts over 20 industrial sites, including former factories, workers’ housing, and museums. Notable sites include Manufaktura, the “City of Weavers” in Zgierz, and the brewery in Piotrków Trybunalski, along with its associated beer trail.

The example of Hyundai Motor Manufacturing Czech

The Moravia-Silesia region, one of the most important industrial centers of the 19th century, is considered a pioneer in industrial tourism. Nošovice is home to Hyundai’s European manufacturing plant, one of the South Korean automaker’s fourteen plants worldwide. The plant has more than 500 robots, employs 2,900 workers, and participates in various industrial tourism initiatives, such as Technotrail and IndusTour.

At its facilities, which span more than 200 hectares, approximately 1,500 cars are produced daily, with visitors on hand to observe the process. The company offers free guided tours lasting one to one and a half hours, three days a week, in English, German, French, Polish, and Spanish. Visitors travel in groups of about 35 people on a small electric train, accompanied by a tour guide, and the tours are provided free of charge.

Mines in Moravia–Silesia

The Moravia-Silesia mining region is now without any mines, as the last one closed this year. “I believe this could become a new trend in tourism, because people are tired of overcrowded places and are looking for something unique. So perhaps this is a good opportunity for our region to attract more visitors,” says Lucie Šefčíková of the Tourism Department of the Moravian-Silesian Region in the Czech Republic.

Steelworks in Dolní Vítkovice

Dolní Vítkovice is the most iconic landmark of Ostrava, a city with more than 280,000 residents in the eastern part of the country. The former steel mill closed in 1998 but was later reopened for educational and tourist purposes. Visitors explore the old industrial site, which has been transformed with a modern and futuristic aesthetic. Activities include music festivals, a museum, sporting events, a technology center, and the 80-meter-tall Bolt Tower, which features observation decks and a bar with panoramic views of the industrial complex, Ostrava, and the Beskidy and Carpathian Mountains. Lucia Foltinkova, who is in charge of the site’s tourism development, explains that: “Last year was the best we’ve ever had, as we surpassed the 1.7 million annual visitor mark and host hundreds of children every month.”

The industry is not just about the facilities, but also the accumulated know-how. About 30 minutes from Ostrava lies the Bartošovice mill, built in 1678. It is the only mill remaining in the region and one of the very few in the Czech Republic that still operates with its original equipment.

Today, the old machinery and pulleys are still in operation, while the tour guide shares stories and interesting facts with visitors.

A New Chapter for Cypriot Tourism

Today’s visitors are increasingly seeking authentic experiences. They want to learn about the way of life of local communities, get a firsthand look at how local products are made, and experience something different from traditional tourist attractions.

Industrial tourism meets this need precisely. It offers experiences that connect visitors with the local economy, tradition, and innovation, while also helping to spread out tourist traffic and highlight lesser-known areas.

Industrial tourism is not intended to replace the traditional forms of tourism that Cyprus offers. It is intended to complement them.

At a time when travelers are seeking authenticity, sustainability, and a meaningful connection with the places they visit, highlighting Cyprus’s agricultural, artisanal, and industrial identity can open a new, attractive chapter for the country’s tourism.

Because behind every product, every workshop, and every industrial building lies a story worth telling—and worth experiencing.

The IndusTour Project and the Role of ETAP

The total budget for IndusTour amounts to 1.4 million euros, 80% of which is funded by the European Union’s cohesion policy. As part of the European IndusTour project, ETAP Nicosia is collaborating with partners from: Moravia-Silesia in the Czech Republic, the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region in France, the Łódź Voivodeship in Poland, the Tønder region in Denmark, Voivodina in Serbia, and Cyprus.

The goal is to develop policies and tools that will help local businesses and organizations capitalize on the potential of industrial tourism, creating new experiences for visitors and new growth opportunities for local communities.

Cyprus’s Potential

Although Cyprus lacks heavy industry, it possesses a rich productive ecosystem that can serve as the foundation for the development of industrial tourism. And ETAP is here to complete this puzzle. It aims to integrate wineries, breweries, cheese factories, traditional product workshops, craft workshops, cosmetics facilities, agricultural enterprises, as well as historic industrial buildings, creating a particularly fascinating mosaic of experiences. Through organized tours, interactive presentations, tastings, and educational activities, these businesses can be transformed into points of interest that enrich the tourist experience, while also breathing new life into the capital—and beyond—and giving it a new identity.

Cyprus is considered self-sufficient in raw materials for buildings, roads, ports, dams, and other construction projects, as it has dozens of active quarries. The historical legacy of Cyprus’s mines and quarries offers significant potential for the development of thematic industrial tourism. These sites tell the story of copper mining and the island’s mineral resources, and can be utilized through themed trails, guided tours, and educational experiences that combine history, geology, and culture.

Axies Ventures is already contributing to the development of mining tourism by by organizing themed guided tours of Cyprus’s mines and quarries, highlighting the island’s mining history and geological identity.

Since ancient times, Cyprus has been known for its copper, but in the modern era, particular emphasis is placed on the potential for developing industrial and mining tourism, targeting diverse audiences. Finally, the importance of enriching the tourist experience through organized visits and specialized guided tours is highlighted.

Its industrial identity is rooted in historic sectors such as food and beverage production, the ice cream industry (Heraclis, Regis, Papafilippou Ice Cream), brewing (Carlsberg—the first such operation outside Denmark since 1967), metallurgy and copper mining, the flour milling industry (Mitsides), printing, construction materials, and energy infrastructure. These sectors form the basis for the development of themed routes, educational visits, and industrial tourism experiences.

The industry facing particular challenges is tourism, due to the lack of a strategy, low business participation in public tours, limited promotion of sites, gaps in the quality of the visitor experience, as well as insufficient cooperation between the public and private sectors. However, it is generally accepted that this is a growing industry, particularly due to the efforts of ETAP.

ETAP Nicosia focuses its strategy on creating a structured industrial tourism product, which will enable visitors to gain firsthand insight into the production process of iconic Cypriot products through organized visits and hands-on experiences at modern production facilities.

Particular emphasis is placed on the ice cream industry, a sector with significant economic impact —17 million annually—which serves as a prime example of the convergence of industry, cultural identity, and tourism. With a history dating back to the 1930s, the companies Heraclis, Regis, and Papafilipou have played a decisive role in the sector’s development.

Papafilipou, in fact, pioneered an innovation: the creation of the Ice Cream Museum (2019), which stands out as a model of industrial tourism, as it combines historical exhibits with live production, allowing visitors to observe the production process in real time. It is aimed at schools, students, and tourists, enhancing the educational and cultural dimensions of the experience.

Finally, future initiatives are proposed for the site’s further development, such as enhancing its visibility, creating an online reservation system, improved accessibility, and integration into organized industrial tourism routes in Nicosia.

Another comparative advantage of Cyprus is its agri-food industry, which is one of the most dynamic and authentic sectors of its productive activity, combining tradition, local identity, and modern production processes.

Of particular interest is the dairy sector, centered on the production of PDO halloumi, as well as other dairy products. The Alambra dairy company has designed a highly engaging experience for its visitors—right on site—at its milk production facility.

Equally important are visits to food production facilities, such as Alion Vegetables & Fruits, which specializes in the packaging and export of fresh Cypriot fruits and vegetables. These facilities can offer visitors a comprehensive overview of production processes, quality control, innovation, and the connection between Cypriot agriculture and the food industry.

By creating a network of production facilities open to visitors, Nicosia can highlight its modern productive identity, enrich its tourism offering, and create new experiences that combine gastronomy, local entrepreneurship, and industrial heritage.

International Workshop in Nicosia

In this context, ETAP held an international workshop on industrial tourism on June 11, titled “Industrial Tourism Conference – Enhancing Visitor Experiences and Promoting Local Businesses.” The conference, held as part of the European IndusTour (Interreg Europe) project, highlighted the sector’s prospects through European best practices and innovative partnerships.

The event’s objective was achieved by highlighting industrial tourism development, enhancing the tourist experience, and supporting local businesses, while emphasizing the value of opening production facilities to the public as an attractive tourist attraction, and by creating new and, above all, authentic and unique experiences for visitors—something that will undoubtedly also enhance the businesses’ outward-looking approach.

The common conclusion of the discussions, however, was that industrial tourism development is not only about preserving the heritage of the past, but is a modern tool that links innovation, local identity, and sustainable economic development, creating new opportunities for businesses and local communities.