Festivals, community development and sustainable tourism in the Karpaz region of Northern Cyprus

The organization of festivals has recently been emphasized in the Karpaz region of Northern Cyprus as a strategy for sustainable tourism development. Hence, this paper explores the relationship between festivals, community development and sustainable tourism in this region. A multi-method qualitative research approach was used. The study found that community-oriented festivals aim to function primarily as a tool for community development through sustaining a socially constructed sense of social identity and preserving the so called 'Cypriot' cultural values. However, these festivals have been subject to processes of commodification as migration from mainland Turkey has taken place and the demographics of the Karpaz region changes. This has significant policy implications for sustainable tourism development in this region of Cyprus.