The annual Carnival celebrations are providing a significant economic stimulus for Limassol as the city prepares to host Cyprus’s largest carnival parade, drawing thousands of participants and visitors to local businesses.
Hotels, restaurants, cafes and retail establishments across Limassol are benefiting from the influx of carnival enthusiasts. While precise financial figures are difficult to calculate, the economic impact of the Limassol Carnival is estimated to reach into the millions of euros.
Limassol Mayor Yiannis Armeftis told philenews that the municipality allocates approximately €500,000 annually from its budget to organise the carnival festivities, including parades and various events.
The city recovers only €70,000 directly through sponsorships, though the mayor emphasised that indirect economic benefits far exceed this amount.
“The revenue for the local economy amounts to many millions of euros,” Armeftis stated, noting that approximately 100,000 visitors are expected in the city, with 35,000 people anticipated to participate in the main parade.
The carnival celebrations have become central to discussions about public event financing after the Police issued an invoice to the municipality for security services.
According to the mayor, the municipality received and paid a €2,000 bill for policing the Children’s Carnival Parade, as “the parade involved children and we wanted to ensure it would proceed smoothly”.
However, Armeftis firmly stated he will not pay the €43,000 invoice issued for policing the main carnival parade – a decision he has communicated directly to the Minister of Justice. The mayor indicated that the Minister has assured him police presence will be maintained to prevent any issues during the event.
“This amount cannot be easily paid because it was not budgeted for,” Armeftis explained, adding that the confusion could have been avoided had the Police informed them of this decision earlier.
“If the Police want to charge for events, we can discuss it, but this decision should not have been announced to us just days before the grand carnival parade”.
