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This paper aims to provide an understanding of residents' perceptions of how tourism activity in a rural area impacts their environment as well as their economic and social lives individually and as a community.

As a primary method of data collection, semi-structured interviews were conducted with 20 residents in the rural areas of Cyprus.

The study's findings suggest that tourism activity in the rural areas provides a plethora of opportunities to residents, but comes with challenges and threats. Both social and environmental impacts are mainly for the benefit of the local communities as the engine of development. Emphasis is given to the revival of the local culture with the emergence of small and medium enterprises, along with the motivation of younger populations and women to become active entrepreneurs. However, a more holistic approach should be taken to sustainable tourism development in Cyprus, ensuring that all local communities have an opportunity to develop small-scale niche tourism products that enhance the image of rural destinations and which become a source of pride for the residents.

The study contributes to the literature by enhancing knowledge of the relationship between tourism and local rural communities. Shedding light on residents' perceptions by evaluating social and environmental impacts can guide government policy making and implementation.

This study aims to identify stakeholders and dimensions of the gastro-tourism cluster in Cyprus in order to facilitate the creation of a network of unique culinary experiences for tourists.

The qualitative research approach was undertaken through interaction with academics, researchers, and public and private sector stakeholders during the Gastro-Tourism Conference, which was organized by the University of Nicosia, Cyprus, in May 2022. The study draws on data from non-structured interviews conducted with tourism industry professionals and stakeholders.

Four stakeholders of the gastro-tourism cluster were identified: enterprises from the gastro sector, supportive enterprises and industries, public institutions, and other institutions. Geographic proximity and knowledge sharing are the main dimensions affecting the gastro-tourism cluster in Cyprus.

The authors identified stakeholders in and dimensions of the gastro-tourism cluster in Cyprus, each of which plays a significant role in creating culinary experiences for visitors and ensuring more sustainable and less seasonal development of the island as a destination.

The aim of this article is to examine Cyprus, an island highly dependent on tourism, by bringing together the aspects of accessibility as a holistic approach to sustainable tourism development and exploiting the potential for mitigating seasonality problems. Accessible tourism has remarkable potential as an emerging market in providing for the holistic development of destinations. Additionally, it can act as a market that can provide year-round demand through activities for people with disabilities (PwD). Seasonality is a significant issue, especially in small island destinations (SIDs) as there is a prevailing mass tourism mindset with a limited tourism season.

In total, 15 semi-structured interviews took place with tourism practitioners, the tourism industry's main stakeholders, and representatives of disability associations in Cyprus.

The study results suggest that a destination developed to satisfy the needs of PwD is beneficial in many aspects. Additionally, the increasing market of PwD offers an opportunity to address the problem of seasonality. However, this requires the development of a sustainable framework for tourism, including those facilities and activities that can satisfy the needs of PwD and provide opportunities for extended traveling throughout the year.

The study deals with an original topic of discussion since it examines accessibility in sustainable development and the effect on seasonality in SIDs.

This concluding article aims to summarize the key points and outcomes from the theme issue question: How could the Republic of Cyprus reduce the impact of seasonal tourism on long-term sustainable development? Which is a follow-up issue to the Cyprus sustainability theme issue published in Worldwide Hospitality and Tourism Themes volume 13 number 6 2021.

The paper summarizes the findings of the theme issue in relation to how stakeholders in the Republic of Cyprus can reduce the impact of severe tourism seasonality on long-term sustainable tourism development.

The findings of the articles in this theme issue explore the depth of the seasonality problem and its impact on the long-term sustainability of the small island state of Cyprus. Further, the articles in this collection explore potential remedies and ways to mitigate seasonality with the help of alternative, special interest tourism activities, improved air connectivity, established cluster-based activities, and improved accessibility to the island.

The articles in this issue provide perspectives from academics, practitioners, industry professionals, and policymakers on what steps could be taken to tackle increasing tourism seasonality that has profound effects on economic, social, and environmental sustainability in the island of Cyprus.

This paper seeks to discuss the rationale of the newly reformed health education curriculum in Cyprus, which aspires to enable not only teachers, but also all the school personnel, to work from the perspective of health promotion. It is a curriculum which moves from the traditional approach of health education focusing on individual lifestyle/behaviour modification into approaches that recognise and tackle the determinants of health.

The paper critically discusses the structure and the content of the learning objectives of this curriculum that encourages teachers to work in a health promoting way.

The central goal of this curriculum is to enable students and schools to act as health agents, addressing the structural determinants of health and promoting environmental changes. The optimum level for all topics of the curriculum is achieved through learning objectives, which concern three interconnected levels. These are: “investigating determinants of health”, “practising action competency skills for health” and “achieving changes in favour of health”. All levels are means as well as end products in terms of the curriculum objectives.

The outcome of the development of the health education curriculum acts as a guide for school interventions, through a methodological framework, which encourages participants to identify and promote environmental changes that facilitate healthy choices. This is of significance to those working in the field of health promotion and who seek to establish a new language of health promotion that goes beyond the pervasive discourse of individual lifestyles.

The implementation of the particular health education curriculum will promote not only health in the school community but also in the local community. This is because a key principle which underlies the curriculum is the involvement of the students, school staff, family and community in everyday health promotion practice. It also promotes the development of partnerships among them.

This is an innovative curriculum for Cyprus, based on health promotion and health education principles, but at the same time taking in account the local socio‐cultural and political perspective. This curriculum may be applicable to other European countries.